Viral membrane fusion proteins undergo triggered conformational changes to expose cryptic fusion peptides, while cell-cell fusion may involve cell surface proteins such as the ADAM gene family.
Significant progress has been made in elucidating the mechanisms of viral membrane fusion proteins; both those that function at low, as well as those that function at neutral, pH. For many viral fusion proteins evidence now suggests that a triggered conformational change that exposes a previously cryptic fusion peptide, along with a rearrangement of the fusion protein oligomer, allows the fusion peptide to gain access to the target bilayer and thus initiate the fusion reaction. Although the topologically equivalent process of cell-cell fusion is less well understood, several cell surface proteins, including members of the newly described ADAM gene family, have emerged as candidate adhesion/fusion proteins.
Hernandez et al. (Fri,) conducted a review in Viral and cell-cell fusion. Viral membrane fusion proteins undergo triggered conformational changes to expose cryptic fusion peptides, while cell-cell fusion may involve cell surface proteins such as the ADAM gene family.