AUTHOR=Li Chenlu , Qian Tiantian , He Ruyue , Wan Chun , Liu Yinghui , Yu Haijia TITLE=Endoplasmic Reticulum–Plasma Membrane Contact Sites: Regulators, Mechanisms, and Physiological Functions JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology VOLUME=9 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2021.627700 DOI=10.3389/fcell.2021.627700 ISSN=2296-634X ABSTRACT=

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms direct membrane contact sites with the plasma membrane (PM) in eukaryotic cells. These ER-PM contact sites play essential roles in lipid homeostasis, ion dynamics, and cell signaling, which are carried out by protein-protein or protein-lipid interactions. Distinct tethering factors dynamically control the architecture of ER-PM junctions in response to intracellular signals or external stimuli. The physiological roles of ER-PM contact sites are dependent on a variety of regulators that individually or cooperatively perform functions in diverse cellular processes. This review focuses on proteins functioning at ER-PM contact sites and highlights the recent progress in their mechanisms and physiological roles.