Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Trends Cell Biol. 2019 Oct 21;29(12):964–973. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2019.09.002

Figure 1. Essential Steps of the Hemifusion Stalk/Fusion-Pore Model of Cell Membrane Fusion.

Figure 1.

A series of distinct membrane events must occur for two cells to fuse and merge their cytoplasmic contents. First, two cells must recognize and adhere to one another, followed by close membrane adhesion (to within 10 nm). The outer-membrane leaflets must then fuse, which results in mixing of lipids and the formation of an unstable membrane stalk intermediate. The formation and expansion of a fusion pore within the hemifused membrane then completes the reaction.