title: Membrane fusion: a structural perspective on the interplay of lipids and proteins.
abstract: The fusion of biological membranes is governed by the carefully orchestrated interplay of membrane proteins and lipids. Recently determined structures of fusion proteins, individual domains of fusion proteins and their complexes with regulatory proteins and membrane lipids have yielded much suggestive insight into how viral and intracellular membrane fusion might proceed. These structures may be combined with new knowledge on the fusion of pure lipid bilayer membranes in an attempt to begin to piece together the complex puzzle of how biological membrane fusion machines operate on membranes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, PO Box 800736, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0736, USA. lkt2e@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Lukas K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Tamm
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kiessling
mesh_terms: D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D050600:SNARE Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D050600:SNARE Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins