Abstract
THE fusion of membranes is a key to the control of lysosomal function. Membrane fusion is involved in both the intra and extracellular digestion of extracellular material (fusion between endocytotic vacuoles or between plasma membrane and enzyme-bearing vesicles) as well as in the formation of autophagic vacuoles. Primary lysosomes fuse readily with newly formed endocytotic vacuoles1,2; they seem to be able to fuse with heterolysosomes3 but never directly with mitochondria or nuclei. Because of scanty information the apparent specificity in the fusion pattern of primary lysosomes cannot be explained in terms of relationships between membrane composition and function. Dingle4 has proposed, in analogy to the coalescence of closed shells of fluid, or the ‘breaking’ of an emulsion by agglomeration of droplets to larger ones, that the fusion of cell membranes of high surface tension will be thermodynamically favoured. According to this suggestion lysosomes should be regarded as high surface tension vesicles.
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RAZ, A., GOLDMAN, R. Spontaneous Fusion of Rat Liver Lysosomes in vitro. Nature 247, 206–208 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/247206a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/247206a0
