Membrane fission: curvature-sensitive proteins cut it both ways

Abstract

Boucrot et al. (2012) demonstrate a membrane fission mechanism independent of nucleotide hydrolysis that is based on membrane insertion of amphipathic helices. They show that, for N-BAR domain proteins, which promote membrane curvature but also contain amphipathic helices, fission is opposed by the BAR domain that stabilizes tubular membrane structures.