Further notes about the morphostasis concept – split files

(52) Tunnelling nanotubes

Tunnelling nanotubes were first described in 2004. A recent article by Amin Rustom gives an overview of these structures: "The missing link: does tunnelling nanotube-based supercellularity provide a new understanding of chronic and lifestyle diseases?" Open Biol. 2016 Jun;6(6). pii: 160057

It is clear, now, that structures other than gap junctions knit groups of cells together into a sort of functional "supercell". Wherever I have made a committed asumption that gap junctions underlie this process then these structures also contribute. Together with connexins and innexins, these structures appear to modulate local co-operativity and identity.