Mechanics of membrane fusion/pore formation
Abstract
Lipid bilayers play a fundamental role in many biological processes, and a considerable effort has been invested in understanding their behavior and the mechanism of topological changes like fusion and pore formation. Due to the time- and length-scale on which these processes occur, computational methods have proven to be an especially useful tool in their study. With their help, a number of interesting findings about the shape of fusion intermediates could be obtained, and novel hypotheses about the mechanism of topological changes and the involvement of peptides therein were suggested. In this work, we try to present a summary of these developments together with some hitherto unpublished results, featuring, among others, the shape of stalks and fusion pores, possible modes of action of the influenza HA fusion peptide and the SNARE protein complex, the mechanism of supported lipid bilayer formation by vesicle spreading, and the free energy and transition pathway of the fusion process.
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The analysis employs biased molecular-dynamics simulations building on pioneering work on splayed lipids and fusion stalks, and is motivated by the earlier finding that pronounced interfacial dissipation observed between sliding bilayers under transmembrane electric fields arises from spontaneous stalk formation.
“Our analysis employs biased molecular-dynamics simulations building on pioneering work on splayed lipids and fusion stalks 10,13,14,18,32,33 , and is motivated by our earlier finding that the pronounced interfacial dissipation observed between sliding bilayers under transmembrane electric fields arises from spontaneous stalk formation 9 .”
From Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway (2026) · cites this paper as [18]
A consistent conclusion from molecular dynamics simulations based on lipid-only systems is that fusogenic proteins are indispensable because they facilitate the otherwise unfavorable intermediates of splayed lipids, stalks, and fusion pores.
“A consistent conclusion is that fusogenic proteins are indispensable because they facilitate the otherwise unfavorable intermediates of splayed lipids, stalks, and fusion pores.”
From Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway (2026) · cites this paper as [18]
Previous cornerstone studies established that the splayed state formation is an essential precursor to stalk formation.
“Previous cornerstone studies established that the splayed state formation, as in Fig. 1, and also Fig. 3A, is an essential precursor to stalk formation 13,14,18 .”
From Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway (2026) · cites this paper as [18]
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Fusion of lipid membranes: an alternative pathway
Jin, D., Li, Z., Roke, S., & Klein, J. (2026) · doi:10.64898/2026.02.19.706911
- Authors
- Fuhrmans, M., Marelli, G., Smirnova, Y. G., & Müller, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Göttingen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Fuhrmans, Marc
- Venue
- Chemistry and Physics of Lipids
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-01
- Volume
- 185
- Pages
- 109-128
- ISSN
- 0009-3084 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2028108128
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 0.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Chemistry and Physics of Lipids (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- GRO (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Volkswagen Foundation
- the DFG SFB 803
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular transport and secretion
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Caveolin-1 and cellular processes
- Keywords
- membrane fusion, pore formation, lipid bilayers, fusion intermediates, fusion pore, influenza hemagglutinin, fusion peptide, SNARE complex, supported lipid bilayers, free energy, transition pathways, peptide-membrane interactions
- MeSH terms
- Lipid Bilayers, Membrane Fusion, Models, Molecular, Thermodynamics, Porosity
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