Recruitment of tetraspanin TSP-15 regulates plasma membrane repair in C. elegans epidermis
Description
Maintaining the integrity of the plasma membrane after cellular damage is essential for cell survival. However, it is unclear how cells repair large membrane injuries in vivo. In this study, we report that the tetraspanin protein, TSP-15, is recruited to large membrane wounds and forms a ring-like structure in C. elegans syncytial epidermis and promotes membrane repair after an injury. TSP-15 recruits from the adjacent region underneath the plasma membrane to the wound site in a RAB-5-dependent manner upon membrane damage. Genetic and live imaging analysis suggested that the endosomal sorting complex required for transport III (ESCRT III) is essential for recruiting TSP-15 from the early endosome to the damaged membrane. Moreover, TSP-15 interacts with and is required for the accumulation of the t-SNARE protein Syntaxin-2, which facilitates membrane repair. These findings suggest that recruiting TSP-15 to the wounded membrane provides novel insights into the cellular repair of large wounds resulting from environmental insults.