Tunneling Nanotubes: Diversity in Morphology and Structure

Overview

Journal Commun Integr Biol

Specialty Biology

Date 2014 Apr 30

PMID 24778759

Citations 112

Authors

Magnus Wiger Austefjord

Hans-Hermann Gerdes

Xiang Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are recently discovered thin membranous tubes that interconnect cells. During the last decade, research has shown TNTs to be diverse in morphology and composition, varying between and within cell systems. In addition, the discovery of TNT-like extracellular protrusions, as well as observations of TNTs in vivo, has further enriched our knowledge on the diversity of TNT-like structures. Considering the complex molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of TNTs, as well as their different functions in intercellular communication, it is important to decipher how heterogeneity of TNTs is established, and to address what roles the compositional elements have in the execution of various functions. Here, we review the current knowledge on the morphological and structural diversity of TNTs, and address the relation between the formation, the structure, and the function of TNTs.

Citing Articles

Mitochondrial transplantation for cardioprotection and induction of angiogenesis in ischemic heart disease.

Hassanpour P, Sadeghsoltani F, Saghebasl S, Boroumand S, Khanicheragh P, Ahmadi Tafti S Stem Cell Res Ther. 2025; 16(1):54.

PMID: 39920826 PMC: 11806797. DOI: 10.1186/s13287-025-04193-w.

Synthetic CB1 Cannabinoids Promote Tunneling Nanotube Communication, Cellular Migration, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Pancreatic PANC-1 and Colorectal SW-620 Cancer Cell Lines.

Bunsick D, Baghaie L, Li Y, Yaish A, Aucoin E, Skapinker E Cells. 2025; 14(2).

PMID: 39851499 PMC: 11763365. DOI: 10.3390/cells14020071.

Hijacking intercellular trafficking for the spread of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases: a focus on tunneling nanotubes (TNTs).

Chakraborty R, Belian S, Zurzolo C Extracell Vesicles Circ Nucl Acids. 2024; 4(1):27-43.

PMID: 39698299 PMC: 11648486. DOI: 10.20517/evcna.2023.05.

Unveiling the power of mitochondrial transfer in cancer progression: a perspective in ovarian cancer.

Wang C, Xie C J Ovarian Res. 2024; 17(1):233.

PMID: 39580453 PMC: 11585251. DOI: 10.1186/s13048-024-01560-8.

Intercellular Transport of Viral Proteins.

Simon F, Thoma-Kress A Results Probl Cell Differ. 2024; 73:435-474.

PMID: 39242389 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62036-2_18.

References

Ramirez-Weber F, Kornberg T . Cytonemes: cellular processes that project to the principal signaling center in Drosophila imaginal discs. Cell. 1999; 97(5):599-607. DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80771-0. View

Costanzo M, Abounit S, Marzo L, Danckaert A, Chamoun Z, Roux P . Transfer of polyglutamine aggregates in neuronal cells occurs in tunneling nanotubes. J Cell Sci. 2013; 126(Pt 16):3678-85. DOI: 10.1242/jcs.126086. View

Rustom A, Saffrich R, Markovic I, Walther P, Gerdes H . Nanotubular highways for intercellular organelle transport. Science. 2004; 303(5660):1007-10. DOI: 10.1126/science.1093133. View

He K, Luo W, Zhang Y, Liu F, Liu D, Xu L . Intercellular transportation of quantum dots mediated by membrane nanotubes. ACS Nano. 2010; 4(6):3015-22. DOI: 10.1021/nn1002198. View

Beum P, Lindorfer M, Beurskens F, Stukenberg P, Lokhorst H, Pawluczkowycz A . Complement activation on B lymphocytes opsonized with rituximab or ofatumumab produces substantial changes in membrane structure preceding cell lysis. J Immunol. 2008; 181(1):822-32. DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.181.1.822. View

Smith I, Shuai J, Parker I . Active generation and propagation of Ca2+ signals within tunneling membrane nanotubes. Biophys J. 2011; 100(8):L37-9. PMC: 3077701. DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2011.03.007. View

Bukoreshtliev N, Wang X, Hodneland E, Gurke S, Barroso J, Gerdes H . Selective block of tunneling nanotube (TNT) formation inhibits intercellular organelle transfer between PC12 cells. FEBS Lett. 2009; 583(9):1481-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2009.03.065. View

Chinnery H, Pearlman E, McMenamin P . Cutting edge: Membrane nanotubes in vivo: a feature of MHC class II+ cells in the mouse cornea. J Immunol. 2008; 180(9):5779-83. PMC: 3392179. DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.9.5779. View

Roux A, Cuvelier D, Nassoy P, Prost J, Bassereau P, Goud B . Role of curvature and phase transition in lipid sorting and fission of membrane tubules. EMBO J. 2005; 24(8):1537-45. PMC: 1142567. DOI: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600631. View

10.

Mattila P, Lappalainen P . Filopodia: molecular architecture and cellular functions. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2008; 9(6):446-54. DOI: 10.1038/nrm2406. View

11.

Dubey G, Ben-Yehuda S . Intercellular nanotubes mediate bacterial communication. Cell. 2011; 144(4):590-600. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.01.015. View

12.

Gurke S, Barroso J, Hodneland E, Bukoreshtliev N, Schlicker O, Gerdes H . Tunneling nanotube (TNT)-like structures facilitate a constitutive, actomyosin-dependent exchange of endocytic organelles between normal rat kidney cells. Exp Cell Res. 2008; 314(20):3669-83. DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2008.08.022. View

13.

Gousset K, Marzo L, Commere P, Zurzolo C . Myo10 is a key regulator of TNT formation in neuronal cells. J Cell Sci. 2013; 126(Pt 19):4424-35. DOI: 10.1242/jcs.129239. View

14.

Beum P, Lindorfer M, Peek E, Stukenberg P, de Weers M, Beurskens F . Penetration of antibody-opsonized cells by the membrane attack complex of complement promotes Ca(2+) influx and induces streamers. Eur J Immunol. 2011; 41(8):2436-46. DOI: 10.1002/eji.201041204. View

15.

Lokar M, Iglic A, Veranic P . Protruding membrane nanotubes: attachment of tubular protrusions to adjacent cells by several anchoring junctions. Protoplasma. 2010; 246(1-4):81-7. DOI: 10.1007/s00709-010-0143-7. View

16.

Wang Y, Cui J, Sun X, Zhang Y . Tunneling-nanotube development in astrocytes depends on p53 activation. Cell Death Differ. 2010; 18(4):732-42. PMC: 3131904. DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2010.147. View

17.

Gurke S, Barroso J, Gerdes H . The art of cellular communication: tunneling nanotubes bridge the divide. Histochem Cell Biol. 2008; 129(5):539-50. PMC: 2323029. DOI: 10.1007/s00418-008-0412-0. View

18.

Teddy J, Kulesa P . In vivo evidence for short- and long-range cell communication in cranial neural crest cells. Development. 2004; 131(24):6141-51. DOI: 10.1242/dev.01534. View

19.

Ambroggio E, Sorre B, Bassereau P, Goud B, Manneville J, Antonny B . ArfGAP1 generates an Arf1 gradient on continuous lipid membranes displaying flat and curved regions. EMBO J. 2009; 29(2):292-303. PMC: 2824456. DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2009.341. View

20.

Wittig D, Wang X, Walter C, Gerdes H, Funk R, Roehlecke C . Multi-level communication of human retinal pigment epithelial cells via tunneling nanotubes. PLoS One. 2012; 7(3):e33195. PMC: 3310865. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033195. View