Role of membrane proximal actin regulators in SARS-CoV-2 spike-induced cell-cell fusion.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan; Biosignal Research Center, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan. Electronic address:

Published: June 2025


Category Ranking

98%

Total Visits

921

Avg Visit Duration

2 minutes

Citations

20

Article Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein has the ability to induce multinucleated syncytia via cell-cell fusion, which is thought to be related to the pathogenesis of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the mechanism by which spike protein regulates cell fusion remains unclear. Given the close correlation between cell-cell fusion and membrane protrusions, we investigated the role of membrane-proximal actin regulators in spike-induced cell fusion. We found that while Rac-Arp2/3 dependent branched actin polymerization is required for spike-mediated cell fusion, RhoA dependent actomyosin contractility has an inhibitory effect on fusion. In addition, plasma membrane tension regulated by membrane-cortex attachment plays a negative role in spike-dependent cell fusion. Furthermore, we identified several BAR proteins, which couple membrane curvature with actin dynamics, involved in spike-induced syncytia formation. Our study suggests that these actin regulators could be promising targets for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-induced syncytia formation.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.151846DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

cell fusion
16
actin regulators
12
cell-cell fusion
12
fusion
8
sars-cov-2 spike
8
spike protein
8
syncytia formation
8
actin
5
role membrane
4
membrane proximal
4

Similar Publications

Clinicopathological features of dermal clear cell sarcoma: A series of 13 cases.

Pathol Res Pract

September 2025

Department of Pathology, Xijing Hospital and School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. Electronic address:

Background: Dermal clear cell sarcoma (DCCS) is a rare malignant mesenchymal neoplasm. Owing to the overlaps in its morphological and immunophenotypic profiles with a broad spectrum of tumors exhibiting melanocytic differentiation, it is frequently misdiagnosed as other tumor entities in clinical practice. By systematically analyzing the clinicopathological characteristics, immunophenotypic features, and molecular biological properties of DCCS, this study intends to further enhance pathologists' understanding of this disease and provide a valuable reference for its accurate diagnosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dopamine (DA) signaling is essential for neurodevelopment and is particularly sensitive to disruption during adolescence. Protein restriction (PR) can impair DA dynamics, yet mechanistic insights remain limited due to challenges in real-time neurochemical sensing. Here, we present aptCFE, a robust implantable aptamer-based sensor fabricated via a reagent-free, 3 min electrochemical conjugation (E-conjugation) using amine-quinone chemistry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Precise delivery of nanoliter-scale reagents is essential for high-throughput biochemical assays, yet existing platforms often lack real-time control and selective content fusion. Conventional methods rely on passive encapsulation or stochastic pairing, limiting both throughput and biochemical specificity. Here, we introduce an on-demand nanoliter delivery platform that seamlessly integrates electrical sensing, triggered droplet merging, and passive sorting in a single continuous flow.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

There is no vaccine for severe malaria. STEVOR antigens on the surface of -infected red blood cells are implicated in severe malaria and are targeted by neutralizing antibodies, but their epitopes remain unknown. Using computational immunology, we identified highly immunogenic overlapping B- and T-cell epitopes (referred to as multiepitopes, 7-27 amino acids) in the semiconserved domain of four STEVORs linked with severe malaria and clinical immunity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Deltaviruses are subviral agents of animals, which, in humans, require a hepadnavirus helper for transmission. The absence of deltavirus-like endogenous viral elements (δEVEs) has prevented an understanding of their evolution in deep time. By screening the representative genomes of all metazoans for endogenous delta antigen-like sequences, we report the discovery of 13 δEVEs in the genomes of five species of termites.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF