Calpastatin (the Endogenous Calpain Inhibitor) and Membrane Protein Degradation in Cell Fusion
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Cell membrane fusion is a ubiquitous cellular process, mediating such phenomena as fertilization, muscle development, certain
viral infections, and giant cell formation from macrophages. For membrane fusion to occur, the cell membranes must attach
to each other, usually by means of interactions between membrane receptors. Increased cellular Ca2+
is required for the various fusion events, and changes occur in the cell membrane and cytoskeleton. Fusion of membranes occurs
between the two phospholipid bilayers in regions that are poor in proteins (fusion-potent domains). It has been proposed that
membrane protein degradation contributes to the disorganization of cell membrane and cytoskeleton in preparation for the fusion
of the cell membranes (1
–3
).
