The central role of line tension in the fusion of biological membranes

Abstract

Recent progress in the fusion of biological membranes is reviewed to highlight the central role played by the line tension, which permits exquisite control of the process.

Acknowledgements

For very useful conversations, we thank L. Chernomordik, F. Cohen, M. Kozlov, B. Lentz, D. Siegel and J. Zimmerberg. We are particularly grateful to V. Frolov for sharing his knowledge and expertise with us. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0140500. Additional support was provided by the DFG Mu1647/1. Computer time at the NIC Jülich is gratefully acknowledged.