Back

Title
  • en Tunneling nanotubes: Emerging view of their molecular components and formation mechanisms
Creator
    • en Hase, Koji
    • en Ohno, Hiroshi
Accessrights open access
Subject
  • Other en Tunneling nanotubes
  • Other en Membrane nanotubes
  • Other en Cytonemes
  • Other en M-Sec (TNFaip2)
  • Other en Intercellular communication
  • NDC 463
Description
  • Abstract en Cell-to-cell communication is essential for the development and maintenance of multicellular organisms. The tunneling nanotube (TNT) is a recently recognized distinct type of intercellular communication device. TNTs are thin protrusions of the plasma membrane and allow direct physical connections of the plasma membranes between remote cells. The proposed functions for TNTs include the cell-to-cell transfer of large cellular structures such as membrane vesicles and organelles, as well as signal transduction molecules in a wide variety of cell types. Moreover TNT and TNT-related structures are thought to facilitate the intercellular spreading of virus and/or pathogenic proteins. Despite their contribution to normal cellular functions and importance in pathological conditions, virtually nothing is known about the molecular basis for their formation. We have recently shown that M-Sec (also called TNFaip2) is a key molecule for TNT formation. In cooperation with the RalA small GTPase and the exocyst complex, M-Sec can induce the formation of functional TNTs, indicating that the remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton and vesicle trafficking are involved in M-Sec-mediated TNT formation. Discovery of the role of M-Sec will accelerate our understanding of TNTs, both at the molecular and physiological levels.
Publisher en Elsevier
Date
    Issued2012-08-15
Language
  • eng
Resource Type journal article
Version Type AM
Identifier HDL http://hdl.handle.net/2115/50688
Relation
  • isVersionOf DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yexcr.2012.05.013
  • PMID 22652450
Journal
    • PISSN 0014-4827
      • en Experimental Cell Research
      • Volume Number318 Issue Number14 Page Start1699 Page End1706
File
Oaidate 2023-07-26