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Tunneling nanotubes: A new route for the exchange of components between animal cells
Author(s) -
Gerdes Hans-Hermann,
Bukoreshtliev Nickolay V.,
Barroso João F.V.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2007.03.071
Subject(s) - multicellular organism , organelle , nanotechnology , membrane , cytoplasm , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , chemistry , biology , biophysics , materials science , biochemistry
Recently, highly sensitive nanotubular structures mediating membrane continuity between mammalian cells have been discovered. With respect to their peculiar architecture, these membrane channels were termed tunneling nanotubes (TNTs). TNTs could form de novo between animal cells leading to the generation of complex cellular networks. They have been shown to facilitate the intercellular transfer of organelles as well as, on a limited scale, of membrane components and cytoplasmic molecules. It has been proposed that TNTs represent a novel and general biological principle of cell‐to‐cell communication and it becomes increasingly apparent that they fulfill important functions in the physiological processes of multicellular organisms.