Objective
Organelles exchange metabolites and information to coordinate essential aspects of cellular physiology, thus behaving as an integrated intracellular network. For example, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) makes contacts with several organelles, including the plasma membrane, mitochondria, the Golgi apparatus, and lysosomes. These contacts allow the coordination of calcium and lipid homeostasis across the cell. Yet, little is known about their molecular nature. A long-standing question in cell biology has been how membrane-rich mitochondria receive lipids synthesized in the ER in the absence of vesicular transport between the two organelles. One model suggests that lipids directly shuttle from one organelle to the other at sites of contact, although the hypothesis lacked molecular details.
A breakthrough in the field resulted from my postdoctoral research in Peter Walter's laboratory, where I discovered a protein complex that tethers the ER and the mitochondria. This tethering complex called ER-Mitochondria Encounter Structures (ERMES) provides the tethering force necessary to physically couple the two organelles. Our discovery of molecular components of ER-mitochondria junctions opened a fascinating new area of research in interorganelle communication. Our long-term goals for ER-mitochondria study are to understand: (a) the physiological importance of these connections, how they facilitate interorganelle metabolite transport and how this transport affects the functionality of the respective organelles, (b) the molecular architecture that results in interorganelle tethering, (c) the regulation of these junctions, and (d) the conservation between yeast and higher eukaryotes.
As most membrane bound compartments establish networks of contact sites with their neighbors, we anticipate that the findings of our proposed ERC research on the ERMES complex will set a framework for deciphering the entire intracellular interorganelle network.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2013-StG
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.