title: The role of cholesterol in membrane fusion.
abstract: Cholesterol modulates the bilayer structure of biological membranes in multiple ways. It changes the fluidity, thickness, compressibility, water penetration and intrinsic curvature of lipid bilayers. In multi-component lipid mixtures, cholesterol induces phase separations, partitions selectively between different coexisting lipid phases, and causes integral membrane proteins to respond by changing conformation or redistribution in the membrane. But, which of these often overlapping properties are important for membrane fusion?-Here we review a range of recent experiments that elucidate the multiple roles that cholesterol plays in SNARE-mediated and viral envelope glycoprotein-mediated membrane fusion.
authors.affiliation: Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
authors.forename: Sung-Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
authors.forename: Alex J B
authors.initials: AJB
authors.lastname: Kreutzberger
authors.affiliation: Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
authors.forename: Jinwoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kiessling
authors.affiliation: Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. Electronic address: lkt2e@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Lukas K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Tamm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000378:metabolism; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D050600:SNARE Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D053586:Virus Internalization
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D050600:SNARE Proteins; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Cholesterol; Exocytosis; Fusion peptide; Fusion protein; Membrane fusion; SNARE; Viral envelope protein; Virus entry