Plant Organelle Interaction Network and Membrane Contact Sites

Plants, like other eukaryotic system, have evolved organized endomembrane system and cytoskeletons. Although each compartment has specialised functions, organelles, membrane structures and cytoskeletons are also inter-connected through membrane contact sites (MCS) or membrane adaptor proteins, forming an integrated network that is essential for various biological events. Take the endoplasmic reticulum as an example, it is a dynamic network whose structure and movement are regulated by associating with cytoskeletons. It is also found in connection with the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, chloroplast and plasma membrane in plants, possibly required for biomaterial exchange and rapid signalling transduction. To date, organelle interactions and membrane contact sites have been reported to regulated autophagy, development, stress responses, lipid transport and signalling. The discovery of organelle-interaction network and the characterization of molecular regulators required for its formation is a major step forward in cell biology. In animal cells, the disorder of organelle interactions is linked to various disease and developmental defect, but the molecular machinery and regulation pathway are still unclear. Recently, a number of proteins that regulate membrane connection have been identified in plants, this is the first step towards understanding the mechanism and function of such interactions.

While the communication and trafficking between different subcellular compartment is of very broad interests to cell biology studies, this Research Topic mainly focuses on the activities that are mediated by direct connection, such as membrane-membrane interactions (e.g. ER-Golgi interface, ER-PM contact site, plasmodesmata, ect.) or membrane-cytoskeleton interactions.

This Research Topic aims to showcase the following aspects:

- The establishment, maintenance and dynamics of organelle interaction networks. How are membrane-membrane or membrane-cytoskeleton interactions achieved in plant cell? And which proteins or complexes are required to establish this interaction?

- The identification of the biological functions of different organelle interaction networks. How membrane contact sites or membrane-cytoskeleton network participate in membrane trafficking, stress response, cell signalling and polarity? Are there any other essential pathways require organelle interactions?

- New technologies and methods to study membrane interactions.

We welcome interested researchers to contribute to this Research Topic, and particularly looking for new discoveries or hypotheses that could expand on our current knowledge of organelle-cytoskeleton interactions and membrane contact sites. Original Research Articles, Methods, Opinion Articles and Reviews are welcome.