Fusion mechanism
>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The fusion mechanism is the mechanism by which cell fusion takes place. Cell
fusion is the formation of a hybrid cell from two different cells of different
species.[1][2] Cells from the same organism may fuse together as well. This is
often observed during lytic viral infection, where alterations of the cell can
be seen under a light microscope. These include changes in morphology,
formation of vacuoles and fusion of cells to form syncytia.
The term cell fusion mechanism refers to the receptors required for cells to
fuse, whereas the term cell fusion refers to the action of
formation of the new cell.
One example of the cellular fusion mechanism is that of HIV infecting
the body. HIV infects by fusing with the membranes of immune system cells. In
order for HIV to fuse with a cell, it must be able to bind to the receptors
CD4, CCR5, and CXCR4.[3]
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