Above the legal limit: Alcohol brings ER and mitochondria too close together.

Mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) are signaling domains formed at points of contact between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria that are essential for mitochondrial Ca signaling, energy metabolism and cell survival. Thoudam et al. now show that MAMs are dynamically regulated by pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 in alcohol-associate liver disease, adding one more piece to the ever more complex puzzle of ER-mitochondria interactions in health and disease.