title: Assembling the puzzle: Oligomerization of α-pore forming proteins in membranes.
abstract: Pore forming proteins (PFPs) share the ability of creating pores that allow the passage of ions, proteins or other constituents through a wide variety of target membranes, ranging from bacteria to humans. They often cause cell death, as pore formation disrupts the membrane permeability barrier required for maintaining cell homeostasis. The organization into supramolecular complexes or oligomers that pierce the membrane is a common feature of PFPs. However, the molecular pathway of self-assembly and pore opening remains unclear. Here, we review the most recent discoveries in the mechanism of membrane oligomerization and pore formation of a subset of PFPs, the α-PFPs, whose pore-forming domains are formed by helical segments. Only now we are starting to grasp the molecular details of their function, mainly thanks to the introduction of single molecule microscopy and nanoscopy techniques. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Pore-forming toxins edited by Mauro Dalla Serra and Franco Gambale.
authors.affiliation: Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cosentino
authors.affiliation: Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany.|Center for Protein Studies, Havana University, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Uris
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ros
authors.affiliation: Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.|Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Ana J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: García-Sáez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018272:Porins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D018272:Porins
keywords: Membrane; Pore forming proteins (PFPs); Pore forming toxins (PFTs); Pore structure; Protein oligomerization