Читать книгу Cell Biology - Stephen R. Bolsover - Страница 51

The existence of membrane contact sites between the ER and mitochondria has been known for decades from electron microscope studies. Relatively recently, these contacts have been isolated biochemically from cell extracts for study. The resulting fractions are referred to as mitochondria‐associated membranes (MAMs ) because they contain proteins not only typically found in mitochondrial membranes but also in the ER. In live cells, ER‐mitochondria contact sites provide a restricted space such that when calcium ions are released from the ER (Chapter 10), they achieve a very high local concentration that facilitates their uptake by adjacent mitochondria.

Figure 2.6. Gap junctions allow solute and electrical current to pass from the cytosol of one cell to the cytosol of its neighbor.