Hemifusomes and Interacting Proteolipid Nanodroplets: Formation of a Novel Cellular Organelle Complex

Within cells, vesicle fusion, scission, and the formation of intraluminal vesicles are critical processes that facilitate traffic, degradation, and recycling of cellular components, and maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Despite significant advancements in elucidating the molecular mechanisms that drive these dynamic processes, the direct in situ visualization of membrane remodeling intermediates remains challenging. Here, through the application of cryo-electron tomography in mammalian cells, we have identified a previously undescribed vesicular organelle complex with unique membrane topology: heterotypic hemifused vesicles that share extended hemifusion diaphragms (HDs) with a 42 nm proteolipid nanodroplet (PND) at their rim. We have termed these organelle complexes "hemifusomes". The HDs of hemifusomes exhibit a range of sizes and curvatures, including the formation of lens-shaped compartments encapsulated within the membrane bilayer. The morphological diversity of the lens-shaped vesicle aligns with a step-wise process of their intraluminal budding, ultimately leading to their scission and the generation of intraluminal vesicles. We propose that hemifusomes function as versatile platforms for protein and lipid sorting and as central hubs for the biogenesis of intraluminal vesicles and the formation of multivesicular bodies.