INVESTIGADORES
AGUILAR Pablo S.
artículos
Título:
Genetic Basis of cell-cell fusion mechanisms
Autor/es:
AGUILAR, P.S.; BAYLIES, M.K.; FLEISSNER, A.; HELMING, L.; NAOZAKU, I.; PODBILEWICZ, B.; WANG, H-M. AND WONG, M.
Revista:
TRENDS IN GENETICS
Editorial:
ELSEVIER SCIENCE LONDON
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013 vol. 29 p. 427 - 437
ISSN:
0168-9525
Resumen:
Cell?cell fusion in sexually reproducing organisms is a
mechanism to merge gamete genomes and, in multicel-
lular organisms, it is a strategy to sculpt organs, such as
muscle, bone, and placenta. Moreover, this mechanism
has been implicated in pathological conditions, such as
infection and cancer. Studies of genetic model organ-
isms have uncovered a unifying principle: cell fusion is a
genetically programmed process. This process can be
divided in three stages: competence (cell induction and
differentiation); commitment (cell determination, migra-
tion, and adhesion); and cell fusion (membrane merging
and cytoplasmic mixing). Recent work has led to the
discovery of fusogens, which are cell fusion proteins that
are necessary and sufficient to fuse cell membranes. Two
unrelated families of fusogens have been discovered,
one in mouse placenta and one in Caenorhabditis ele-
gans (syncytins and F proteins, respectively). Current
research aims to identify new fusogens and determine
the mechanisms by which they merge membranes.