PARTICIPATION OF MEMBRANE NANOTUBES IN INTERCELLULAR COMMUNICATION

A few years ago a so far unknown type of intercellular connections between animal cells, involved in their communication was discovered. Due to its specific nano-architecture, these connections were named tunneling nanotubes or membrane nanotubes. Nanotubes ensure the transfer of both membrane and cytosolic cellular components, including organelles. They also participate in calcium signal transduction and apoptosis signal. The length of the distance at which cells contact via nano tubes reaches several hundred micrometers. The published data suggest that nanotubes have heterogenous structure. Among them, there are nanotubes which provide direct contact of the cytoplasm in connected cells (open-ended structure), and those, in which the transport requires overcoming a barrier, which is the cell membrane (close-ended structure). An important finding in the study of membrane nanotubes was demonstrating the ability of these connections of the transmission of pathogens, such as HIV, or abnormal form of PrP prion protein. In addition, nanotubes mediate a transport of MDR protein, involved in resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy. It means that this type of cell connection may play an important role in the pathomechanism of AIDS, prion as well as cancer diseases.