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Scientists Identify Hemifusome, a New Organelle in Cellular Cargo Sorting

This finding opens new paths toward deeper understanding of intracellular sorting, with potential to inform therapies for genetic diseases.

Image
Pictured: the newly discovered organelle, the hemifusome, in yellow
"The hemifusome is like a loading dock where they connect and transfer cargo"

Overview

  • Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the NIH used cryo-electron tomography to reveal the hemifusome as a transient hub for vesicle docking and molecular cargo exchange.
  • Hemifusomes assemble and disassemble in response to cellular demands, acting as a dynamic sorting station unlike any previously known organelle.
  • Defects in hemifusome function may contribute to genetic trafficking disorders such as Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome and have implications for conditions like cystic fibrosis and Down syndrome.
  • The discovery was documented June 25 in Nature Communications, featuring high-resolution, near-native images of the organelle’s structure and interactions.
  • Ongoing studies are probing how hemifusomes operate in healthy versus diseased cells to uncover therapeutic targets for diseases rooted in cellular transport failures.