Organelle communication zone as a site for phospholipid transfer

Research abstract

Organelle structures and functions strictly rely on their properly maintained lipid compositions. To understand the mechanism by which organelle membranes maintain the phospholipid homeostasis, it is critical to investigate how phospholipids are synthesized and distributed from the sites of synthesis to other organelle membranes. However, little is known about pathways, factors, and molecular mechanisms of phospholipid trafficking among different organelle membranes. We focus on organelle communication zones that mediate phospholipids transport between organelles. Specifically, we will first construct an experimental system to evaluate organelle communication between distinct organelles.  We will then search for organelle tethering factors by using the assay system and elucidate the roles these organelle communication zones and organelle tethering factors in phospholipid transport.

Original papers

1. Matsumoto S., Nakatsukasa K., Kakuta C., Tamura Y., Esaki M., and Endo T. (2019) Msp1 Clears Mistargeted Proteins by Facilitating Their Transfer from Mitochondria to the ER Mol. Cell., 76: 191-205.

2. Wang C., Taki M., Sato Y., Tamura Y., Yaginuma H., Okada Y., and Yamaguchi S. (2019) A photostable fluorescent marker for the superresolution live imaging of the dynamic structure of the mitochondrial cristae PNAS., 116: 15817-15822.

3. Sakaue, H., Shiota, T., Ishizaka, N., Kawano, S., Tamura, Y., Tan, KS., Imai, K., Motono, C., Hirokawa, T., Taki, K., Miyata, N., Kuge, O., Lithgow, T., and Endo, T. (2019) Porin Associates with Tom22 to Regulate the Mitochondrial Protein Gate Assembly Mol. Cell, 73, 1044–1055
4. Sawasato, K., Sato, R., Nishikawa, H., Iimura, N., Kamemoto, Y., Fujikawa, K., Yamaguchi, T., Kuruma, Y., Tamura, Y., Endo, T., Ueda, T., Shimamoto, K. and Nishiyama, K. (2019) CdsA is involved in biosynthesis of glycolipozyme MPIase essential for membrane protein integration in vivo. Sci. Rep., 9, Article number: 1372
5. Ueda, E., Tamura, Y., Sakaue, H., Kawano, S., Kakuta, C., Matsumoto, S., and Endo, T. (2019) Myristoyl group-aided protein import into the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Sci. Rep., 9, Article number: 1185.
6. Kojima, R., Kakimoto, Y., Furuta, S., Itoh, K., Sesaki, H., Endo, T., and Tamura, Y. (2019) Maintenance of Cardiolipin and Crista Structure Requires Cooperative Functions of Mitochondrial Dynamics and Phospholipid Transport. Cell Rep., 26, 518–528.
7. Kawano, S., Tamura, Y., Kojima, R., Bala, S., Asai, E,  Michel, AH., Kornmann, B., Riezman, I., Riezman, H., Sakae, Y., Okamoto, Y., and Endo T. (2017). Structure–function insights into direct lipid transfer between membranes by Mmm1–Mdm12 of ERMES.  J. Cell. Biol. 217, 959–974. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201704119.
8. Kojima, R., Endo, T., and Tamura, Y. (2016) A phospholipid transfer function of ER-mitochondria encounter structure revealed in vitro. Sci. Rep. 6, Article number: 30777
9. Watanabe, Y., Tamura, Y., Kawano, S., and Endo T. (2015) Structural and mechanistic insights into phospholipid transfer by Ups1–Mdm35 in mitochondria. Nat. Commun. 6, Article number: 7922
10. Tamura, Y., Harada, Y., Nishikawa, S., Yamano, K., Kamiya, M., Shiota, T., Kuroda, T., Kuge, O., Sesaki, H., Imai, K., Tomii, K. and Endo, T. (2013) Tam41 is a CDP-diacylglycerol synthase required for cardiolipin biosynthesis in mitochondria. Cell Metab., 17, 709-718
11. Tamura, Y., Iijima, M., and Sesaki, H. (2010) Mdm35p imports Ups proteins into the mitochondrial intermembrane space by functional complex formation. EMBO J., 29, 2875- 2887
12. Tamura, Y., Endo, T., Iijima, M., and Sesaki, H. (2009) Ups1p and Ups2p antagonistically regulate cardiolipin metabolism in mitochondria. J. Cell Biol., 185, 1029-1045

Reviews

1. Tamura Y. Kawano S. and Endo T*. (2020) Lipid homeostasis in mitochondria. Biol Chem., in press (DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2020-0121.).
2. Tamura, Y., Kojima, R., Endo, T. (2019) Advanced In Vitro Assay System to Measure Phosphatidylserine and Phosphatidylethanolamine Transport at ER/Mitochondria Interface. In: Drin G. (eds) Intracellular Lipid Transport. Methods Mol. Biol. vol 1949. Humana Press, New York, NY
3. Tamura, Y., Kawano, S., and Endo T. (2019) Organelle contact zones as sites for lipid transfer. J Biochem. 165, 115–123.
4. Tamura, Y. and Endo, T. (2017) Role of Intra- and Inter-mitochondrial Membrane Contact Sites in Yeast Phospholipid Biogenesis. In: Tagaya, M., Simmen, T. (eds) Organelle Contact Sites. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol., 997, 121-133, Springer, Singapore
5. Tamura, Y. Sesaki, H. and Endo, T. (2014) Phospholipid transport via mitochondria. Traffic. 15, 933-945
6. Zhang, Q., Tamura, Y., Roy, M., Adachi, Y., Iijima, M., Sesaki, H. (2014) Biosynthesis and Roles of Phospholipids in Mitochondrial Fusion, Division and Mitophagy. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 71, 3767-78