Nanotubular Highways for Intercellular Organelle Transport
2004; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 303; Issue: 5660 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1126/science.1093133
ISSN1095-9203
AutoresAmin Rustom, Rainer Saffrich, Ivanka Marković, Paul Walther, Hans‐Hermann Gerdes,
Tópico(s)Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
ResumoCell-to-cell communication is a crucial prerequisite for the development and maintenance of multicellular organisms. To date, diverse mechanisms of intercellular exchange of information have been documented, including chemical synapses, gap junctions, and plasmodesmata. Here, we describe highly sensitive nanotubular structures formed de novo between cells that create complex networks. These structures facilitate the selective transfer of membrane vesicles and organelles but seem to impede the flow of small molecules. Accordingly, we propose a novel biological principle of cell-to-cell interaction based on membrane continuity and intercellular transfer of organelles.
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