Journal
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
Volume 132, Issue 18, Pages -Publisher
COMPANY BIOLOGISTS LTD
DOI: 10.1242/jcs.213124
Keywords
Actin cytoskeleton; Cell-cell fusion; Fusogenic synapse; Invasive protrusion; Mechanical force; Mechanosensory response; Myoblast fusion; Podosome
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Funding
- National Institutes of Health [R01 AR053173, R01 GM098816]
- American Heart Association Established Investigator Award
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute Faculty Scholar Award
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Cell-cell fusion is a fundamental process underlying fertilization, development, regeneration and physiology of metazoans. It is a multi-step process involving cell recognition and adhesion, actin cytoskeletal rearrangements, fusogen engagement, lipid mixing and fusion pore formation, ultimately resulting in the integration of two fusion partners. Here, we focus on the asymmetric actin cytoskeletal rearrangements at the site of fusion, known as the fusogenic synapse, which was first discovered during myoblast fusion in Drosophila embryos and later also found in mammalian muscle and non-muscle cells. At the asymmetric fusogenic synapse, actin-propelled invasive membrane protrusions from an attacking fusion partner trigger actomyosin-based mechanosensory responses in the receiving cell. The interplay between the invasive and resisting forces generated by the two fusion partners puts the fusogenic synapse under high mechanical tension and brings the two cell membranes into close proximity, promoting the engagement of fusogens to initiate fusion pore formation. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we highlight the molecular, cellular and biophysical events at the asymmetric fusogenic synapse using Drosophila myoblast fusion as a model.
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