News-Letter

Protein required for cells to fuse

A report in the current issue of Developmental Biology describes a new protein that helps two cells combine into one. Elizabeth Chen and colleagues from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics discovered the protein, called Solitary.

In order for two cells to fuse, parts of their membranes must be disassembled and new proteins must be trafficked to the fusion site. This is especially important in muscle cells.

Solitary helps with both of these tasks. It marks the membranes where fusion is to take place, and then links up with actin filaments in the cell skeleton to help direct proteins to the site.

The discovery could have implications for the treatment of certain muscle diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, in which neighboring muscle cells break down or improperly fuse.

Marital instability affects children

Sociologists Paula Fomby and Andrew Cherlin have published the results of an extensive national survey of families in the American Sociological Review.

Children of parents who have divorced, remarried, or cohabited repeatedly were much more likely to display signs of behavioral and emotional problems. This difficulty in coping with transitions cuts across demographic lines.

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