Unveiling the mechanisms of cell-cell fusion.
Cell-cell fusion is fundamental to the development and physiology of multicellular organisms, but little is known of its mechanistic underpinnings. Recent studies have revealed that many proteins involved in cell-cell fusion are also required for seemingly unrelated cellular processes such as phagocytosis, cell migration, axon growth, and synaptogenesis. We review advances in understanding cell-cell fusion by contrasting it with virus-cell and intracellular vesicle fusion. We also consider how proteins involved in general aspects of membrane dynamics have been co-opted to control fusion of diverse cell types by coupling with specialized proteins involved in cell-cell recognition, adhesion, and signaling.
Chen
Elizabeth H
EH
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. echen@jhmi.edu
Olson
Eric N
EN
D000818:Animals; D002459:Cell Fusion; D022162:Cytoplasmic Vesicles / Q000502:physiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D004194:Disease; D006801:Humans; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013812:Therapeutics; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018406:Virus Physiological Phenomena
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins