Role of Lipids During Fusion of Model and Biological Membranes

  • A. J. Verkleij
Conference paper
Part of the FIDIA Research Series book series (FIDIA, volume 4)

Abstract

Membrane fusion is an ubiquitous event in cell biology. Some of the important biological phenomena in which membrane fusion is involved are: (i) fusion of the. sperm and the egg membrane which leads to fertilization, (ii) the secretion of neurotransmitters, insulin and other hormones, and digestive enzymes from their respective storage vesicles inside the gland cells, referred to as exocytosis, and (iii) the uptake of viruses and removal of receptor ligands from the surface (receptor-mediated endocytosis). In fact, every biological membrane has the potential to fuse, but this potentiality may be revealed more in one membrane than in another. In most types of intracellular membranes, such as endoplasmic reticulum, coated vesicles, endosomes, lysosomes, and Golgi cisternae, fusion takes place continuously.

Keywords

Membrane Fusion Fusion Event Coated Vesicle Lipidic Particle Inverted Micelle 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1986

Authors and Affiliations

  • A. J. Verkleij
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute of Molecular BiologyUniversity of UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands

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