title: A novel function of heparan sulfate in the regulation of cell-cell fusion.
abstract: Despite the important contribution of cell-cell fusion in the development and physiology of eukaryotes, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate this process. Our study shows that glycosaminoglycans and more specifically heparan sulfate (HS) expressed on the cell surface and extracellular matrix may act as negative regulator of cell-cell fusion. Using herpes simplex virus type-1 as a tool to enhance cell-cell fusion, we demonstrate that the absence of HS expression on the cell surface results in a significant increase in cell-cell fusion. An identical phenomenon was observed when other viruses or polyethylene glycol was used as fusion enhancer. Cells deficient in HS biosynthesis showed increased activity of two Rho GTPases, RhoA and Cdc42, both of which showed a correlation between increased activity and increased cell-cell fusion. This could serve as a possible explanation as to why HS-deficient cells showed significantly enhanced cell-cell fusion and suggests that HS could regulate fusion via fine tuning of RhoA and Cdc42 activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shukla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D014709:Vero Cells; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein; C066737:RHOA protein, human