Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
Results Probl Cell Differ. 2024;73:173-201. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-62036-2_9.
Communication among cells is vital in multicellular organisms. Various structures and mechanisms have evolved over time to achieve the intricate flow of material and information during this process. One such way of communication is through tunnelling membrane nanotubes (TNTs), which were initially described in 2004. These TNTs are membrane-bounded actin-rich cellular extensions, facilitating direct communication between distant cells. They exhibit remarkable diversity in terms of structure, morphology, and function, in which cytoskeletal proteins play an essential role. Biologically, TNTs play a crucial role in transporting membrane components, cell organelles, and nucleic acids, and they also present opportunities for the efficient transmission of bacteria and viruses, furthermore, may contribute to the dissemination of misfolded proteins in certain neurodegenerative diseases. Convincing results of studies conducted both in vitro and in vivo indicate that TNTs play roles in various biomedical processes, including cell differentiation, tissue regeneration, neurodegenerative diseases, immune response and function, as well as tumorigenesis.
细胞间的通讯在多细胞生物中至关重要。随着时间的推移，各种结构和机制不断进化，以实现这一过程中物质和信息的复杂流动。其中一种通讯方式是通过隧道膜纳米管（TNTs），它最初是在 2004 年被描述的。这些 TNTs 是由膜包裹的富含肌动蛋白的细胞延伸物，促进了远距离细胞之间的直接通讯。它们在结构、形态和功能方面表现出显著的多样性，其中细胞骨架蛋白起着至关重要的作用。在生物学上，TNTs 在运输膜成分、细胞器和核酸方面发挥着关键作用，同时也为细菌和病毒的有效传播提供了机会，此外，还可能导致某些神经退行性疾病中错误折叠蛋白的扩散。体外和体内研究的令人信服的结果表明，TNTs 在各种生物医学过程中发挥作用，包括细胞分化、组织再生、神经退行性疾病、免疫反应和功能以及肿瘤发生。
