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Science 13 June 2003:
Vol. 300. no. 5626, pp. 1745 - 1749
DOI: 10.1126/science.1084909
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Reports

Fusion of Cells by Flipped SNAREs

Chuan Hu, Mahiuddin Ahmed, Thomas J. Melia, Thomas H. Söllner, Thomas Mayer, James E. Rothman*

The SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) hypothesis suggests that pairs of proteins known as vesicle (v-) SNAREs and target membrane (t-) SNAREs interact specifically to control and mediate intracellular membrane fusion events. Here, cells expressing the interacting domains of v- and t-SNAREs on the cell surface were found to fuse spontaneously, demonstrating that SNAREs are sufficient to fuse biological membranes.

Cellular Biochemistry and Biophysics Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, Box 251, New York, NY 10021, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j-rothman{at}ski.mskcc.org

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