Tight docking of membranes before fusion represents a metastable state with unique properties

Proteins need to overcome energy barriers to induce intermediate steps in membrane fusion. Using lipid vesicles in which progression to hemifusion is arrested, the authors show that the metastable intermediate is enhanced by divalent cations and is characterized by the absence of proteins and local...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Agata Witkowska, Leonard P. Heinz, Helmut Grubmüller, Reinhard Jahn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2021-06-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23722-8