REVIEW article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neurodegeneration
This article is part of the Research TopicInter-organelle membrane contacts in health and disease of the nervous systemView all articles
ER stress sensors at the ER-Mitochondrial interface, controlling mitochondrial health in neurodegenerative diseases
Provisionally accepted
- Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Hyderabad, India
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The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria are essential organelles that interact closely at specialized sites known as ER-mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs). MAM is enriched with proteins from both the ER and mitochondria. ER stress sensors—inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) and protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) — are traditionally recognized for their roles in the unfolded protein response (UPR), which mitigates proteotoxic stress. However, recent studies reveal their non-canonical functions at MAMs, where they regulate calcium signaling, mitochondrial dynamics, and apoptosis through interactions with MAM-resident proteins. Disruption of these pathways is implicated in various diseases, particularly neurodegenerative disorders. This review highlights the emerging roles of IRE1 and PERK in preserving mitochondrial function and their relevance to neurodegeneration. It also examines pharmacological strategies targeting these proteins, which influence both UPR signaling and ER-mitochondrial communication, offering a comprehensive perspective on their roles in health and disease.
Keywords: ER-mitochondrial interactions, Neurodegenerative Diseases, ER stress sensors, mitochondrial health, IRE1, pERK, UPR signaling
Received: 13 Jul 2025; Accepted: 30 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 CHAITANYA, KUMAR, KODAM, Chamundeshwari Devi and Maity. 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: Shuvadeep Maity, shuvadeep@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in
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