Marco Biggiogera

This study examines early changes in ER-mitochondrial interactions in the liver of high-fat diet-fed mice, finding reduced IP3R-Grp75-VDAC1 complex and altered MERCS structure before weight gain and glucose intolerance.

The paper shows that an optimal ER-mitochondria distance of ~20 nm is critical for efficient Ca2+ transfer and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, with reduced distances observed in Parkinson's disease astrocytes.