High Transmembrane Voltage Raised by Close Contact Initiates Fusion Pore.

ABSTRACT: Membrane fusion lies at the heart of neuronal communication but the detailed mechanism of a critical step, fusion pore initiation, remains poorly understood. Here, through atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, a transient pore formation induced by a close contact of two apposed bilayers is firstly reported. Such a close contact gives rise to a high local transmembrane voltage that induces the transient pore formation. Through simulations on two apposed bilayers fixed at a series of given distances, the process in which two bilayers approaching to each other under the pulling force from fusion proteins for membrane fusion was mimicked. Of note, this close contact induced fusion pore formation is contrasted with previous reported electroporation under ad hoc applied external elect

SUBMITTER: Bu B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5145871 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature