Additional data support defective MERCs contribution to the etiology of PD: mutants for parkin (PARK2), DJ-1 (PARK7), and PINK1 (PARK6), all causing recessive early-onset PD cases, can impact on ER-mitochondria tethering, mitochondrial quality control, and Ca2+ transfer between the two organelles (Li et al., 2005; Narendra et al., 2008; Davison et al., 2009; Ziviani et al., 2010; Calì et al., 2013). This evidence concerns the gene PINK1 and Parkinson disease.