Extent of cell electrofusion in vitro and in vivo is cell line dependent.
BACKGROUND
Electric pulses delivered to cells that are in close contact may induce cell fusion, by a process termed electrofusion. Recently it has been shown that electrofusion in tumours in vivo depends on tumour type. The aim of this work was to examine the differences in electrofusion in various cell lines, both in vivo and in vitro.


METHODS
LPB, B16F10 and DC-3F cells in vitro and LLC tumours in vivo were exposed to various electric pulses. The number of fused cells was then evaluated.


RESULTS
Cell electropermeabilization was confirmed to be a necessary but non-exclusive condition to obtain a high level of cell electrofusion. The extent of electrofusion depends both on the degree of permeabilization and cell type.


CONCLUSIONS
It was observed that metastatic tumour cells easily electrofuse, suggesting that cell type-specific membrane properties and/or secretion of proteases determine the extent of electrofusion.
Salomskaite-Davalgiene
Sonata
S
Department of Biology, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas.
Cepurniene
Karolina
K
Satkauskas
Saulius
S
Venslauskas
Mindaugas S
MS
Mir
Lluis M
LM
D000818:Animals; D018827:Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018274:Electroporation; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*