SUBRA , Mélody

VAP-A is a receptor at the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for hundreds of proteins containing a FFAT motif and having a wide range of structures and functions. VAP-A is also required for creating multiple membrane contact sites (MCSs) between the ER and other compartments, which notably enable non-vesicular lipid exchanges between...

International audience

ORPphilins are bioactive natural products that strongly and selectively inhibit the growth of some cancer cell lines and are proposed to target intracellular lipid-transfer proteins of the oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) family. These conserved proteins exchange key lipids, such as cholesterol and phopsphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI(4)P),...

Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are heterogeneous in shape, composition, and dynamics. Despite this diversity, VAP proteins act as receptors for multiple FFAT motif-containing proteins and drive the formation of most MCSs that involve the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Although the VAP-FFAT interaction is well characterized, no model explains how...