Discovery of archaeal fusexins homologous to eukaryotic HAP2/GCS1 gamete fusion proteins
oleh: David Moi, Shunsuke Nishio, Xiaohui Li, Clari Valansi, Mauricio Langleib, Nicolas G. Brukman, Kateryna Flyak, Christophe Dessimoz, Daniele de Sanctis, Kathryn Tunyasuvunakool, John Jumper, Martin Graña, Héctor Romero, Pablo S. Aguilar, Luca Jovine, Benjamin Podbilewicz
| Format: | Article |
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| Diterbitkan: | Nature Portfolio 2022-07-01 |
Deskripsi
Sexual reproduction in eukaryotes involves gamete fusion, mediated by fusogenic proteins. Here, the authors identify fusogenic protein homologs encoded within mobile genetic elements in archaeal genomes, solve the crystal structure of one of the proteins, and show that its ectopic expression can fuse mammalian cells, suggesting potential roles in cell-cell fusion and gene exchange.