Figure 8: Minion and Myomaker-induced fusion requires cytoskeleton reorganization.
From: The microprotein Minion controls cell fusion and muscle formation
(a) Fluorescence images of 10T1/2 fibroblasts co-overexpressing Minion and Myomaker. F-actin (Alexa546-Phalloidin, red) and DAPI (blue) staining are shown. White arrowheads point to the boundaries of multinuclear cells. n=2 (six technical replicates each, five fields each). (b) Fluorescence images of 10T1/2 fibroblasts co-overexpressing Minion and Myomaker and treated for 24 h with DMSO control or the actin polymerization inhibitors latrunculin B (0.1 μM) or cytochalasin D (0.3 μM)17. n=2 (six technical replicates each, five fields each). Scale bars, 100 μm (a,b). (c) A proposed model for Minion and Myomaker-induced cell–cell fusion. We suggest that Minion and Myomaker have separable roles in the fusion process; Myomaker mediates pre-fusion pore events such as cell-cell recognition and/or, membrane apposition, whereas Minion mediates later fusion pore formation, at least in part via induction of cytoskeletal rearrangements.
