The long-lived fusogenic state induced in erythrocyte ghosts by electric pulses is not laterally mobile.
The long-lived fusogenic state induced in spherical-shaped erythrocyte ghosts by electric field pulses (Sowers, A.E. 1984. J. Cell Biol. 99:1989-1996; Sowers, A.E. 1986. J. Cell Biol. 102:1358-1362) was studied in terms of how the fusion yield depended on both (a) the location where membrane-membrane contact took place with respect to the orientation of the electric pulse and (b) the time interval between the pulse treatment and membrane-membrane contact. Fusion yields were greater for membrane-membrane contact locations closer to where the pulse-induced transmembrane voltage was expected to be greatest and showed a time interval-dependent accelerating decay. The portion of the membrane that became fusogenic included the area up to a latitude of approximately 38 degrees of arc towards the equators of the membranes. A time interval-dependent increase or decrease in rate of decay in the fusion yield for membrane-membrane contacts induced closer to the equator of the membranes did not occur showing that the pulse-induced fusogenic state is immobile in the early 5-45-s interval after induction and has a rate of decay, which does not permit long time interval changes in lateral position to be measured.
Sowers
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Jerome H. Holland Laboratory for the Biomedical Sciences, American Red Cross, Rockville, Maryland 20855.
D002450:Cell Communication; D002459:Cell Fusion; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology*