Abstract
Mitochondria form close physical contacts with a specialized domain of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), known as the mitochondria-associated membrane (MAM). This association constitutes a key signaling hub to regulate several fundamental cellular processes. Alterations in ER-mitochondria signaling have pleiotropic effects on a variety of intracellular events resulting in mitochondrial damage, Ca(2+) dyshomeostasis, ER stress and defects in lipid metabolism and autophagy. Intriguingly, many of these cellular processes are perturbed in neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, increasing evidence highlights that ER-mitochondria signaling contributes to these diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, for which effective mechanism-based treatments remain elusive. Several PD-related proteins localize at mitochondria or MAM and have been shown to participate in ER-mitochondria signaling regulation. Likewise, PD-related mutations have been shown to damage this signaling. Could ER-mitochondria associations be the link between pathogenic mechanisms involved in PD, providing a common mechanism? Would this provide a pharmacological target for treating this devastating disease? In this review, we aim to summarize the current knowledge of ER-mitochondria signaling and the recent evidence concerning damage to this signaling in PD.