REVIEW article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Membrane Traffic and Organelle Dynamics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1629568
The Role of Mitochondria-Associated ER Membranes in Disease Pathology: Protein Complex and Therapeutic Targets
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- 2Department of Laboratory Medicine and Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, chengdu, China
- 3School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, chengdu, China
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The dynamic interactions among organelles play a crucial role in facilitating various intercellular functions, with the interaction between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria being acknowledged as a prominent example of an interorganellar system. Numerous studies have established that the majority of proteins located at the physically tethered regions between the mitochondria and ER, referred to as mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAMs), play a crucial role in intracellular physiological processes. MAMs are dynamic membrane coupling regions arising from the interaction between the ER and the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM). MAMs regulate many biological processes, such as Ca 2+ transport, lipid metabolism, and mitochondrial dynamics. A recent study has demonstrated that the proteins associated with MAMs are crucial for both the structural integrity and functional capabilities of the MAMs. Dysregulations in the MAMs proteins are implicated in the onset and progression of various associated diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the protein complex associated with MAMs. We examine its involvement in the pathological mechanisms underlying these diseases, focusing on its functional roles. Additionally, we evaluate and consider the potential of MAMs as therapeutic targets for these diseases.
Keywords: mitochondria-associated ER membranes, Mitochondria, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Cancer, neurodegeneration, Diabetes Mellitus, Cardiovascular Diseases
Received: 16 May 2025; Accepted: 16 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Li, Zhou, Li, Xi, Zhang and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Juan Zhang, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, chengdu, China
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