VesikelFusion

VesikelFusion is a term used in biology to describe the process by which lipid bilayer vesicles merge with target membranes to transfer their contents. In cells, vesikel fusion is central to intracellular trafficking and intercellular signaling.

Fusion is driven by protein machineries that bring membranes into close apposition, followed by merging of the lipid bilayers. In eukaryotic cells, SNARE proteins on vesicles (v-SNAREs) and target membranes (t-SNAREs) form a complex that catalyzes fusion; this process is frequently regulated by calcium ions and accessory factors such as synaptotagmin, Rab GTPases, and complexins. The lipid environment of the membranes also influences fusion efficiency, with lipids and membrane curvature contributing to pore formation.

VesikelFusion coordinates exocytosis, including neurotransmitter release at synapses, peptide and hormone secretion, and the trafficking of membrane proteins. It underlies the rapid signaling events in neurons as well as longer-term secretory pathways in glandular and other secretory cells.

Applications and research on vesikel fusion inform the understanding of neurological disorders and cellular trafficking disorders. It also has practical implications for biotechnology, including liposome-based drug delivery and the design of targeted therapeutics that rely on controlled membrane fusion.

The term is most common in German-language literature and some educational contexts; in English, the concept is usually described with standard terms such as vesicle fusion, exocytosis, or membrane fusion. See also membrane fusion, exocytosis, SNARE proteins, vesicle trafficking.