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Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
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Membrane nanotubes: dynamic long-distance connections between animal cells

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biologyvolume 9, pages431–436 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Membrane nanotubes are transient long-distance connections between cells that can facilitate intercellular communication (for example, by trafficking vesicles or transmitting calcium-mediated signals), but they can also contribute to pathologies (for example, by directing the spread of viruses). Recent data have revealed considerable heterogeneity in their structures, processes of formation and functional properties, in part dependent on the cell types involved. Despite recent progress in this young research field, further research is sorely needed.

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Figure 1: Membrane nanotubes readily form between various cell types.
Figure 2: Two distinct processes can lead to membrane nanotube formation.
Figure 3: Functional consequences of membrane nanotubes.

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Acknowledgements

We thank H. Chinnery, P. McMenamin, I. Rupp, G. Pradel and A. Chauveau for sharing unpublished observations, B. Önfelt and O. Ces for useful discussions, members of our laboratory for comments on the manuscript and N. Powell for help in preparing the figures. Research in our laboratory is funded by the Medical Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council, a Lister Research Institute Fellowship and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. S. S. is funded by a Wellcome Trust studentship.

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  1. Daniel M. Davis and Stefanie Sowinski are at the Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.,

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Davis, D., Sowinski, S. Membrane nanotubes: dynamic long-distance connections between animal cells.Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol9, 431–436 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm2399

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