ESCRT-III assembly restores membrane tension in micron-scale plasma membrane repair.

Large micron-scale plasma membrane wounds in Caenorhabditis elegans epidermis trigger a persistent, dynamic circumferential ESCRT-III assembly that restores membrane tension during repair.

• Why it matters: Cells must reseal ruptures to survive, but the mechanisms that scale with wound size—especially how membrane tension is recovered—remain unclear.
• What they did: Using live imaging, genetics, super-resolution microscopy, and biophysical assays, the study compared small versus large wounds and tested ESCRT-III requirements for VPS-32 accumulation and polymerization.
• The result: ESCRT-III assembly is required for tension restoration and efficient repair, while blocking VPS-32 polymerization impairs vesicle recruitment, wound closure, and compromises axon regeneration and organismal survival after injury.

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