Fiche publication
Date publication
octobre 2006
Auteurs
Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Pr LEHN Jean-Marie
Tous les auteurs :
Haluska CK, Riske KA, Marchi-Artzner V, Lehn JM, Lipowsky R, Dimova R
Lien Pubmed
Résumé
Membrane fusion is a vital process of life involved, for example, in cellular secretion via exocytosis, signaling between nerve cells, and virus infection. In both the life sciences and bioengineering, controlled membrane fusion has many possible applications, such as drug delivery, gene transfer, chemical microreactors, or synthesis of nanomaterials. Until now, the fusion dynamics has been elusive because direct observations have been limited to time scales that exceed several milliseconds. Here, the fusion of giant lipid vesicles is induced in a controlled manner and monitored with a temporal resolution of 50 micros. Two different fusion protocols are used that are based on synthetic fusogenic molecules and electroporation. For both protocols, the opening of the fusion necks is very fast, with an average expansion velocity of centimeters per second. This velocity indicates that the initial formation of a single fusion neck can be completed in a few hundred nanoseconds.
Référence
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Oct 24;103(43):15841-6
