Optimizing In Situ Proximity Ligation Assays for Mitochondria, ER, or MERC Markers in Skeletal Muscle Tissue and Cells

Proximity ligation assays (PLAs) use specific antibodies to detect endogenous protein-protein interactions. PLAs are a highly useful biochemical technique that allow two proteins within proximity to be visualized with fluorescent probes amplified by PCR. While this technique has gained prominence, the use of a PLA in mouse skeletal muscle (SkM) is novel. In this article, we discuss how the PLA method can be used in SkM to study the protein-protein interactions within mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum contact sites (MERCs).