title: Membrane hemifusion: crossing a chasm in two leaps.
abstract: During membrane fusion, the outer leaflets of the two membranes merge first, whereas the distal membrane leaflets remain separate until the opening of a fusion pore. This intermediate stage, called hemifusion, is a critical event shared by exocytosis, protein trafficking, and viral entry.
authors.affiliation: Section on Membrane Biology, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. chernoml@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Leonid V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Chernomordik
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kozlov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000502:physiology*; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology; D050600:SNARE Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018406:Virus Physiological Phenomena
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D050600:SNARE Proteins