Effect of organelle stress on ER-mitochondria contact. (A) Live fluorescent microscopic images of PfPSS-GFP transgenic parasites under ER stress or mitochondrial stress and stained with MitoTracker and DAPI at 6 hrs after stress induction. In both cases, mitochondria were found to be in close contact with ER, suggesting that the ER-mitochondria contact is refractory to organelle targeted stress. Under mitochondrial stress, mitochondria showed constricted and under-developed globular morphology, instead of elongated morphology seen in case of control. (C) 3D images reconstructed using Z-stacks of MitoTracker and DAPI stained control and treated transgenic parasites showing the presence of ER-mitochondria contact even under stress conditions.

Anwar O, Islam M, Thakur V, Kaur I, Mohmmed A. Defining ER-mitochondria contact dynamics in Plasmodium falciparum by targeting component of phospholipid synthesis pathway, Phosphatidylserine synthase (PfPSS). Mitochondrion. 2022 :S1567-7249(22)00046-0.