Grant: Operating Grant

Lipids play important roles in all cells. They are different than many other biological molecules in that they are like oils and do not mix in the aqueous environment of cells. In this way they can function to separate the cell from the outside environment and also divide the cell into distinct compartments, called organelles. These organelles are critical for carrying out biological processes. For example, the integrity of mitochondria is essential to the cell to produce energy and to regulate cell death. It is also imperative that these organelles communicate with each other. Communication of the endoplasmic reticulum with other organelles is especially important to the cell because it is the site of many metabolic activities including making lipids and proteins. The focus of this proposal is to better understand how the endoplasmic reticulum contacts, and hence communicates with other organelles through defining the molecules that mediate these contacts. Studying these contacts is important for human health and disease because their disruption can result in defective movement of lipids, cell stress and cell death. Accumulation of lipids is a factor in many diseases including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes and motorneuron disease, but in many cases what causes the lipids to accumulate is not known. These studies will help to define how this happens and potentially lead to novel drug targets and therapies, thus contributing to the general health of Canadians and to the Canadian economy.