Investigation of the function of the ER/mitochondria contact sites in cell physiology and disease

线粒体是细胞生存所必需的高度动态的细胞器。线粒体动力学与不同的生理功能有关，特定的代谢活动和线粒体行为需要与其他细胞器接触。事实上，内质网和线粒体一起工作，它们的紧密并列被认为是代谢物通量的信号平台。这些接触的改变与细胞内稳态的缺陷和人类疾病有关。我们小组的目标是了解这些细胞器间联系的结构和相关功能。利用生物化学、分子生物学和细胞生物学方法，我们希望研究线粒体/内质网接触位点在不同细胞生理过程中的功能，包括细胞死亡、脂质和钙流以及细胞迁移。这项工作将使我们对线粒体和线粒体/ER接触在细胞信号传导途径中的重要性有新的认识，并更好地理解与其调节和动力学缺陷相关的人类疾病的病理机制。

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles essential for the survival of the cell. Mitochondrial dynamics has been linked to different physiological functions, and contacts with other organelles are required for specific metabolic activity and mitochondrial behaviour. Indeed, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria work together and their closed juxtaposition is considered as a signalling platform for metabolite flux. Alteration of these contacts has been associated with defects in cellular homeostasis and with human disease. The goal of our group is to characterise the architecture and understand the associated functions of these inter-organelle contacts. Using biochemical, molecular and cell biological approaches, we want to investigate the function of the mitochondria/endoplasmic reticulum contact sites in different cell physiology processes including cell death, lipid and calcium fluxes and cell migration. This work will lead us to obtaining new insights into the importance of mitochondria and mitochondria/ER contacts in cellular signalling pathways, and to better understanding the pathomechanisms underpinning human diseases associated with defects in their regulation and dynamics.