QBI nerve repair (IMAGE)
Caption
Injured axons of the nematode C. elegans and other invertebrate species are able to rejoin with their separated segments, preventing degeneration and restoring the original axonal tract in a process known as axonal fusion. Ho et al. identify a metalloprotease of the ADAM family, ADM-4, as a key component necessary for axonal fusion to proceed. They reveal that ADM-4 is activated by the lipid phosphatidylserine, and functions by interacting with and stabilizing the fusogen EFF-1 for membrane merging. These findings open the possibility of a better molecular control of axonal fusion that could be exploited in nerve repair in mammals.
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Nick Valmas
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