Flagging fusion: Phosphatidylserine signaling in cell–cell fusion
Jarred M. Whitlock, Leonid Chernomordik
Abstract
influx and virus-cell fusion initiated by low pH- or receptor interaction. Diverse cell fusions are accompanied by the nonapoptotic exposure of phosphatidylserine at the surface of fusing cells. Here we review data on the dependence of membrane remodeling in cell fusion on phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylserine-recognizing proteins and discuss the hypothesis that cell surface phosphatidylserine serves as a conserved "fuse me" signal regulating the time and place of cell-fusion processes.
Topics & Concepts
Cell fusionCell biologyPhosphatidylserineLipid bilayer fusionFusion mechanismBiologyCellSyncytiotrophoblastsPhospholipid scramblaseExocytosisFusion proteinSignal transductionCell signalingCell fate determinationBiochemistryTranscription factorGeneticsPlacentaPhospholipidPregnancyFetusGeneSecretionRecombinant DNAMembraneCell death mechanisms and regulationErythrocyte Function and Pathophysiologyinterferon and immune responses