Biologists prove critical step in membrane fusion

deirdre submitted, created time 1 year 8 months (www.physorg.com)

Membrane fusion, is fundamental to health and disease. It occurs at fertilization and is particularly critical to keep hormones circulating and brain cells firing. Membrane fusion is also how HIV and other viruses infect cells. Scientists discovered that the membranes of the egg and the vesicles are hemifused – a state where the membranes are shared but the contents remain separate. Using fluorescent dyes and a high-resolution microscope, the researchers show that hemifusion is surprisingly stable in live cells.

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