Fusion of biological membranes is governed by physical principles but it is unclear whether
the transition states are primarily determined by lipid physics or by protein–lipid interactions …

Membrane fusion is an essential process for the survival of eukaryotes and the entry of
enveloped viruses into host cells. A proper understanding of the mechanism of membrane …

Diverse membrane fusion reactions in biology involve close contact between two lipid
bilayers, followed by the local distortion of the individual bilayers and reformation into a …

The past two years have seen vigorous attempts to elucidate the mechanism driving
intracellular membrane fusion. Much attention was focused on the role of SNARE …

The fusion of biological membranes is the terminal step of all vesicular trafficking reactions
in eukaryotic cells. Therefore, this fusion is fundamental for the transfer of proteins and lipids …

Conclusions The results reviewed suggest that membrane fusion in diverse biological fusion
reactions involves formation of some specific intermediates: stalks and pores. Energy of …

Despite diverse origins, cellular fusion mechanisms converge at a pathway of phospholipid
bilayer fusion. In this mini-review, we discuss how proteins can mediate each of the three …

Membrane fusion can occur between cells, between different intracellular compartments,
between intracellular compartments and the plasma membrane and between lipid-bound …

Membrane fusion is vital for the functioning of many cells. However, membranes show
virtually no tendency to fuse randomly. Highly specific factors, most likely membrane-bound …

Intracellular membrane fusion occurs with exquisite coordination and specificity. Each fusion
event requires three basic components: Rab-GTPases organize the fusion site; SNARE …