Discrimination of two fusogenic properties of aqueous polyethylene glycol solutions.

Investigations on the dose response of cell fusion, induced by ionfree aqueous polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions, reveal distinct lowest fusogenic PEG concentrations for different permanently growing mammalian cell lines. Part of the requisite PEG can be replaced by carbohydrates, preserving the fusogenity of the solutions. This discriminates two effects of PEG solutions causing cell fusion: a) cell shrinkage, the required hyperosmolality of the solutions may be provided by PEG or by carbohydrates, is supposed to cause intracellular processes necessary be for consolidating polycaryons; b) membrane alterations, which can not be induced by carbohydrates, enable intimate cell-cell contact via particle-free membrane areas. Depending on cell line salts can not only raise the osmolality of PEG solutions but are able to co-operate with PEG in generating membrane alterations.