Cell Fusions Regulation and Control
Cell fusions are important to fertilization, placentation, development of skeletal muscle and bone, calcium homeostasis and the immune defence system. Additionally, cell fusions participate in tissue repair and may be important to cancer development, prog
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Lars-Inge Larsson Editor
Cell Fusions Regulation and Control
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Editor Lars-Inge Larsson Faculty of Life Sciences Division of Cell Biology University of Copenhagen Gronnegaardsvej 7 1870 Frederiksberg C Denmark [email protected]
ISBN 978-90-481-9771-2 e-ISBN 978-90-481-9772-9 DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-9772-9 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
The fusion between the sperm and the egg marks the beginning of life and a number of subsequent cell fusions are needed to form the placenta, the skeleton, the skeletal muscles and part of our immune defence system. Cell fusions are also needed during adulthood, e.g. to regulate our calcium homeostasis. Apart from the fusion between the sperm and the egg, all of these fusions occur between cells of the same type. Such homotypic fusions generate multinucleated cells that have lost the ability to propagate but which, through their large sizes, are more powerful than single cells. This is well illustrated by skeletal muscle fibers, which are derived from fusions of multiple stem cells and can reach 1/2 m in length. Similarly, giant cells of the immune system and osteoclasts, degrading bone tissue, reach their powerful abilities of phagocytosis from the fusion of smaller progenitor cells (macrophages/monocytes). Heterotypic fusions occur between cells of different lineages and may result in cells with proliferative ability. If such fusions occur between haploid gametes, an embryo results. However, if heterotypic fusions occur between diploid or aneuploid cells, the mitotic spindle apparatus may encounter problems of sorting the supernumerary chromosomes. This may result in genomic instability and in cell death or cancer. Accordingly, cell fusion is a process that should be entered with even more care than marriage since a divorce (defuse?) is impossible. Nevertheless, as we shall learn from this volume, heterotypic cell fusions may play roles in repair of damaged tissues and may be put to use for production of monoclonal antibodies and for boosting the immune system against cancer cells. In this book, we learn of mechanisms regulating and controlling cell fusions. An important aspect in normal physiology is the matter of self recognition mechanisms, which ensure that, in the healthy individual, homotypic fusions predominate. As we shall see from the contributions on fertilization, placentation, macrophages/osteoclasts and skeletal muscle development, multiple mechanisms are involved. At the turn of the millennium, a
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