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Pannexin 2 Localizes at ER-Mitochondria Contact Sites Le Vasseur, Maxence; Chen, Vincent C.; Huang, Kate; Vogl, Wayne A.; Naus, Christian C.

Abstract

Endomembrane specialization allows functional compartmentalization but imposes physical constraints to information flow within the cell. However, the evolution of an endomembrane system was associated with the emergence of contact sites facilitating communication between membrane-bound organelles. Contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria are highly conserved in terms of their morphological features but show surprising molecular diversity within and across eukaryote species. ER-mitochondria contact sites are thought to regulate key processes in oncogenesis but their molecular composition remains poorly characterized in mammalian cells. In this study, we investigate the localization of pannexin 2 (Panx2), a membrane channel protein showing tumor-suppressing properties in cancer cells. Using a combination of subcellular fractionation, particle tracking in live-cell, and immunogold electron microscopy, we show that Panx2 localizes at ER-mitochondria contact sites in mammalian cells and sensitizes cells to apoptotic stimuli.

Item Metadata

Title
Pannexin 2 Localizes at ER-Mitochondria Contact Sites
Creator
Le Vasseur, Maxence; Chen, Vincent C.; Huang, Kate; Vogl, Wayne A.; Naus, Christian C.
Contributor
University of British Columbia. Life Sciences Institute
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Date Issued
2019-03-11
Description
Endomembrane specialization allows functional compartmentalization but imposes physical constraints to information flow within the cell. However, the evolution of an endomembrane system was associated with the emergence of contact sites facilitating communication between membrane-bound organelles. Contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria are highly conserved in terms of their morphological features but show surprising molecular diversity within and across eukaryote species. ER-mitochondria contact sites are thought to regulate key processes in oncogenesis but their molecular composition remains poorly characterized in mammalian cells. In this study, we investigate the localization of pannexin 2 (Panx2), a membrane channel protein showing tumor-suppressing properties in cancer cells. Using a combination of subcellular fractionation, particle tracking in live-cell, and immunogold electron microscopy, we show that Panx2 localizes at ER-mitochondria contact sites in mammalian cells and sensitizes cells to apoptotic stimuli.
Subject
Pannexin 2; Gap junction; Mitochondria; Endoplasmic reticulum; Contact sites; Mitochondria-associated membranes; Apoptosis
Genre
Article
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2019-04-25
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
CC BY 4.0
DOI
10.14288/1.0378462
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/69949
Affiliation
Medicine, Faculty of; Other UBC; Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Department of; Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of
Citation
Cancers 11 (3): 343 (2019)
Publisher DOI
10.3390/cancers11030343
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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CC BY 4.0