Membrane contact sites are the biological structures targeted by the reviewed toolbox. They are defined here as closely apposed membranes from two organelles separated by a 10 to 35 nm gap.
First-pass extracted concept
membrane contact sites
Candidate: concept label3 source documents4 linked claims
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Aliases
MCSs, organelle contact sites
Extracted Explainers
What the tool is doing
Evidence Snippets
Anchor document verified as a 2026 commentary in International Journal of Biological Sciences (doi:10.7150/ijbs.129515; PMID:41694591; PMCID:PMC12905643) that defines “spatial pharmacology” as therapeutic modulation of organelle membrane contact sites (MCSs).
The non-vesicular exchange of lipids, ions and metabolites at membrane contact sites in between organelles has also been found to depend on phosphoinositides.
Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are specialized subcellular compartments formed by closely apposed membranes from two organelles.
Supporting Sources
Linked Claims
The source defines spatial pharmacology as therapeutic modulation of organelle membrane contact sites.
Non-vesicular exchange of lipids, ions, and metabolites at membrane contact sites depends on phosphoinositides.
Membrane contact sites are closely apposed interorganelle membrane regions with an intermembrane gap of about 10 to 35 nm and are maintained by dynamic protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions.
Quoted textsource-backed
Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are specialized subcellular compartments formed by closely apposed membranes from two organelles. The intermembrane gap is separated by a distance ranging from 10 to 35 nm. MCSs are typically maintained through dynamic protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions.
The review covers genetically encoded probes and chemogenetic or optogenetic actuators for visualization and interrogation of membrane contact sites.
Quoted textsource-backed
In recent years, a series of genetically encoded probes and chemogenetic or optogenetic actuators have been invented to aid the visualization and interrogation of MCSs in both fixed and living cells. In this review, we present an overview on the latest progress in this endeavour, and provide a general guide to the selection of methods and molecular tools for probing interorganellar membrane contact sites.