Electrofusion of two-cell bovine embryos for the production of tetraploid blastocysts in vitro

Tetraploid bovine blastocysts were produced experimentally by electrofusion of in vitro matured and fertilized, zona-enclosed two-cell embryos (33-35 hr after initiation of sperm-egg incubation) using three fusion protocols. Field strengths of 1.0, 1.4, and 2.4 kV/cm were tested and the rate of fusion, subsequent cleavage, and blastocyst development were measured for each. High rates of fusion (76.5% +/- 2.8%), cleavage (72.5% +/- 7.4%) and blastocyst development (56.1% +/- 6.4%) were achieved with the application of 1. 4 kV/cm as a single 100-microseconds pulse. Embryos were scored 30 and 60 min after stimulation for fusion. No time effect for fusion, cleavage, or blastocyst development was observed. Chromosome preparations of day 7 blastocysts revealed 12.5% of fused embryos were tetraploid. This is a significant increase from that found in nonfused embryos where spontaneous tetraploidy did not occur. An electrical stimulus of 1.0 kV/cm applied as two 50-microseconds pulses produced significantly less one-cell embryos (64.2% +/- 3.0%) compared to 1.4 kV/cm while cleavage (79.9% +/- 3.4) and blastocyst development (44.6% +/- 4.0%) were not different from that for unexposed control embryos (89.5% +/- 2.3% and 57.2% +/- 3.2%, respectively). Embryos fused at 2.4 kV/cm applied as a single 30-microseconds pulse (69.7% +/- 5.7%) showed significantly lower cleavage (72.1% +/- 3.7%) and blastocyst rates (40.2% +/- 4.6%) compared to the unexposed control.     

Effects of fusion/activation methods on development of embryos produced by nuclear transfer of porcine fetal fibroblast

The present studies were carried out to investigate the effects of intensity of dc pulse, number of dc pulse and equilibration before fusion/activation on developmental ability of porcine embryos derived from nuclear transfer. In experiment 1, different fusion/activation intensity (two dc pulses of 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6 and 2.0 kV/cm for 30 micros, respectively) was carried out to investigate development of embryos. In experiment 2, the reconstructed oocytes were fused and activated with one, two or three dc pulses of 1.2 kV/cm for 30 micros. In experiment 3, reconstructed oocytes were equilibrated in TCM-199 medium for 0-6 h, respectively, and fused/activated with one dc pulse of 1.2 kV/cm for 30 micros. The reconstructed embryos were cultured in PZM-3 medium containing 0.3% BSA. When oocytes were fused with donor cell by two dc pulses of 0.4 kV/cm for 30 micros, the rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation were significantly lower (32.9% and 2.5%) than those of fused by 0.8 kV/cm (59.0% and 17.4%) or 1.2 kV/cm (63.3% and 18.4%), respectively. One dc pulse of 1.2 kV/cm for 30 micros was enough to fuse and activate embryos to develop to blastocyst (24.8%). Equilibration for 2-3 h in TCM-199 before fusion/activation was beneficial for improving the developmental ability of embryos produced by nuclear transfer (25.6-23.3% at blastocysts).     

Electrofusion parameters for mouse two-cell embryos

We studied electrofusion of mouse two-cell embryos in order to define parameters which would result in a high yield of fused embryos. Various cell alignment times (from <10 to >60 s) and alternating current percentages (2 to 100%) were examined. The fusion parameters tested were the number of fusion pulses (1-9), pulse length (30-90 mus) and pulse strength (0.50-1.79 kV/cm). Furthermore different combinations of these three parameters were tested. In addition the influence of several embryo culture media on the fusion rates was examined. The results show that the fusion rate of the embryos increases with shorter alignment and higher percentages of the alternating current. The highest fusion rate (95%) was obtained by use of one pulse with a duration of 70 mus and a field strength of 0.60-0.79 kV/cm. The survival rate of the embryos was best if Whitten Medium was used before and after the fusion pulses. The fusion of two-cell stages results in tetraploid embryos which can serve as models for studies in polyploid cells.     

Fusion events and nonfusion contents mixing events induced in erythrocyte ghosts by an electric pulse.

The mechanism of membrane fusion was studied by using human erythrocyte ghosts held in close contact by alternating current-induced dielectrophoresis and inducing fusion with a single electric field pulse. Individual fusion events were followed visually using either 1,1'-dihexadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindo carbocyanine perchlorate as a membrane-mixing label or 10-kD fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran as a contents-mixing label. However, over a range of variables, the number of contents-mixing events usually considerably exceeded the number of membrane-mixing events, although the discrepancy was less at higher ionic strength. However, when the dielectrophoretic force holding the membranes in contact was turned off after the pulse, Brownian motion caused some of the groups of ghosts in which contents mixing occurred to eventually separate from one another, showing that they could not represent fusion events. Separate experiments showed, conversely, that fusion did occur in the groups that did not separate after the dielectrophoresis was turned off.     

Effect of high-voltage pulses on the viability of human leucocytes in vitro

Human leucocytes were exposed to high-voltage pulses (transient currents) produced by discharging a capacitor through a test chamber containing the cell suspension then tested for viability using trypan blue. With the pulse discharge times of 1 and 3 μs increases in the number of dyeloaded cells were seen for field strengths above 2.6 kV/cm in the sample. For 0.2-μs pulses the critical field strength was about 5 kV/cm.     

血影内Th~（3＋）在脉冲电场作用下外渗的动态研究

利用改进后的Ｔｂ／ＤＰＡ荧光方法对在脉冲电场作用下人血影内Ｔｂ离子外渗的动力学过程进行了系统的研究。对不同场强和脉宽的电场处理的离子外渗量与时间的关系和电穿孔总面积随时间的变化进行了测量,结果表明,离子外渗的主要方式是由膜两侧浓度梯度导致的离子自由扩散,当脉冲宽度或强度两者之一给定的情况下,均存在临界场强和临界脉宽,在临界点以上电场作用下,膜上出现明显的电穿孔。在实验条件下,电穿孔的面积在２００－     

血影内Th~（3＋）在脉冲电场作用下外渗的动态研究

利用改进后的Ｔｂ／ＤＰＡ荧光方法对在脉冲电场作用下人血影内Ｔｂ离子外渗的动力学过程进行了系统的研究。对不同场强和脉宽的电场处理的离子外渗量与时间的关系和电穿孔总面积随时间的变化进行了测量。结果表明,离子外渗的主要方式是由膜两侧浓度梯度导致的离子自由扩散。当脉冲宽度或强度两者之一给定的情况下,均存在临界场强和临界脉宽,在临界点以上电场作用下,膜上出现明显的电穿孔。在实验条件下,电穿孔的面积在２００－３００ｍｓ时达最大值,孔的面积和扩展速度与电场参数有关。临界点以下电场处理后,虽仍能测出离子的外渗,膜上可能未出现明显的电穿孔。     

Early stage shape change of human erythrocytes after application of electric field pulses.

Erythrocytes which receive electric field pulses are subject to poration, fusion and shape changes due to electrodynamic forces, aminophospholipid perturbation and influences on the normal flip-flop process. The shape change characteristics of cells suspended in different media were analysed after application of rectangular electric field pulses from t=11-44 micros and from E=4-8 kV/cm. Albumin is shown to decelerate the echinocyte shape change within the first few seconds after pulse application. The addition of fluoride and vanadate accelerates the shape change due to their inhibiting influence on the aminophospholipid translocase. For both the duration of the field pulse and its field strength, there exist lower threshold values under which no early stage shape change is observable. The activation energy calculated from the dissipative influence of the electric field alone is smaller than expected, indicating the electrodynamic influence on the flip-flop process. Cell shapes were additionally analysed by contour tracing to focus on the echinocyte spicule distribution after pulse application. This image analysis revealed that, with an increase of both pulse duration and field strength, the shape change velocity and the shape change intensity increase.     

Correlation between electric field pulse induced long-lived permeabilization and fusogenicity in cell membranes.

Electric field pulses have been reported to induce long-lived permeabilization and fusogenicity on cell membranes. The two membrane property alterations are under the control of the field strength, the pulse duration, and the number of pulses. Experiments on mammalian cells pulsed by square wave form pulses and then brought into contact randomly through centrifugation revealed an even stronger analogy between the two processes. Permeabilization was known to affect well-defined regions of the cell surface. Fusion can be obtained only when permeabilized surfaces on the two partners were brought into contact. Permeabilization was under the control of the pulse duration and of the number of pulses. A similar relationship was observed as far as fusion is concerned. But a critical level of local permeabilization must be present for fusion to take place when contacts are created. The same conclusions are obtained from previous experiments on ghosts subjected to exponentially decaying field pulses and then brought into contact by dielectrophoresis. These observations are in agreement with a model of membrane fusion in which the merging of local random defects occurs when the two membranes are brought into contact. The local defects are considered part of the structural membrane reorganization induced by the external field. Their density is dependent on the pulse duration and number of pulses. They support the long-lived permeabilization. Their number must be very large to support the occurrence of membrane fusion.     

Homokaryons from animal and plant cells generated by electrofusion

A new apparatus was constructed which enables the use of the electrofusion method to obtain polynuclear cells of various mammalian cell lines, erythrocytes and plant protoplasts. This technique was applied to both suspensions and monolayers. Electrical and other physical parameters were monitored to find optimal conditions for mutual contact of cells (dielectrophoresis) and subsequent fusion. In the suspension technique, dielectrophoresis of mouse erythrocytes occurred at a field frequency of 20 kHz and a strength of 500 V.cm-1, whereas cultured mammalian cells and plant protoplasts required a frequency of 1-1.4 MHz and a strength of 250-800 V.cm-1. Fusion of cells was induced after the application of 1 to 10 high-voltage pulses of 1-5 kV.cm-1, 10-36 microseconds duration. After these high-voltage pulses were to the monolayer of mouse L cells, about 12% viable homokaryons were obtained.     

Large-scale production of yeast hybrids by electrofusion

Abstract Large-scale production of electrically fused yeast protoplasts from Saccharomyces cerevisiae AH 22[pADH 040-2] and S. cerevisiae AH215 was achieved by the use of the so-called helical fusion chamber. Both strains were of the same mating type a and carried the following auxotrophic markers: his4 in the case of AH22 and leu2, his3 in the case of AH215.
AH22 also is a carrier of the plasmid pADH 040-2. This plasmid confers the leu2 gene of yeast and the β-lactamase gene from Escherichia coli , and this feature enables quick detection of plasmid-positive cells.
After dielectrophoresis (275 V/cm, 800 kHz) fusion was induced by two field pulses (10 kV/cm, 10 μs duration) applied at an interval of 0.5 s. 50 to 60 hybrids per run were isolated after regeneration on selection medium.     

A long-lived fusogenic state is induced in erythrocyte ghosts by electric pulses

Treatment of erythrocyte ghosts in random positions in a suspension with membrane fusion-inducing direct current electric field pulses causes the membranes to become fusogenic. Significant fusion yields are observed if the membranes are dielectrophoretically aligned into membrane-membrane contact with a weak alternating electric field as much as 5 min after the application of the pulses. This demonstrates that a long-lived membrane structural alteration is involved in this fusion mechanism. Other experiments indicate that the areas on the membrane which become fusogenic after treatment with the pulses may be very highly localized. The locations of these fusogenic areas coincide with where the trans-membrane electric field strength was greatest during the pulse. The fusogenic membrane alteration, or components thereof, in these areas laterally diffuses very slowly or not at all, or, to be fusogenic, must be present at concentrations in the membrane above a certain threshold. The loss of soluble 0.9-3-nm-diameter fluorescent probes from resealed cytoplasmic compartments of randomly positioned erythrocyte ghosts occurs through electric field pulse-induced pores only during a pulse but not between pulses or after a train of pulses if the probe diameter is 1.2 nm or greater. For a given pulse treatment of membranes in random positions in suspensions, an increase in ionic strength of the medium results in (a) a decrease in loss during the pulse, (b) no difference in loss between pulses, and (c) an increase in fusion yield when membrane-membrane contact is established. The latter two results (b and c) are incompatible with a fusion mechanism that proposes a simple relationship between electric field-induced pores and fusion.     

Somatic hybridization between human and mouse lymphoblast cells produced by an electric pulse-induced fusion technique

The technique of electric pulse-induced cell fusion (electro-fusion) was used to obtain heterokaryons between normal human lymphoblasts (HSC93) and mouse leukemic lymphoblasts (MCN151). The two types of cells were brought into contact in the cell suspension by dielectrophoresis with an alternating electric field (0.8 kV/cm, 100 kHz) in the presence of calcium ions and pronase E. Cell fusion was induced by giving two successive electric pulses (3.3 and 5 kV/cm, 10 microsec). Prior treatment of human (but not mouse) lymphoblasts with neuraminidase improved fusion efficiency. Differential staining of the two types of cells with Janus Green and Neutral Red showed that about 40% of the viable fused cells underwent heterokaryonic fusion. We concluded that electrofusion is an efficient method for obtaining heterokaryons from human and mouse lymphoblasts.     

A delay in membrane fusion: lag times observed by fluorescence microscopy of individual fusion events induced by an electric field pulse

Low light level video microscopy of the fusion of DiI- (1,1'-dihexadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate) labeled rabbit erythrocyte ghosts with unlabeled rabbit erythrocyte ghosts, held in stable apposition by dielectrophoresis in sodium phosphate buffers, showed reproducible time intervals (delays) between the application of a single fusogenic electric pulse and the earliest detection of fluorescence in the unlabeled adjacent membranes. The delay increased over the range 0.3-4 s with a decrease in (i) the electric field strength of the fusion-inducing pulse from 1000 to 250 V/mm, (ii) the decay half-time of the fusogenic pulse in the range 1.8-0.073 ms, and (iii) the dielectrophoretic force which brings the membranes into close apposition. A change in the buffer viscosity from 1.8 to 10 mP.s caused the delay to increase from 0.36 to 3.7 s (in glycerol solutions) or to 5.2 s (in sucrose solutions). The delay decreased 2-3 times with an increase in temperature from 21 to 37 degrees C. It did not differ significantly for "white" ghosts [0.013 mM hemoglobin (Hb)] or "red" ghosts (0.15 mM Hb) or buffer strength over the range 5-60 mM (sodium phosphate, pH 8.5). The calculated activation energy, 17 kcal/mol, does not depend on the field strength. The yield of fused cells was high when the delay was short. The delay in electrofusion resembles the delays in pH-dependent fusion of vesicular stomatitis viruses with erythrocyte ghosts [Clague, M. J., Schoch, C., Zech, L., & Blumenthal, R. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 1303-1308] and of fibroblasts expressing influenza hemagglutinin and red blood cells [Morris, S. J., Sarkar, D.P., White, J. M., & Blumenthal, R. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 3972-3978].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Membrane electroporation--fast molecular exchange by electroosmosis.

Human and rabbit erythrocyte ghosts loaded with FITC-dextran (mol. mass = 10 kDa) and NBD-glucosamine (mol. mass = 342 Da) in buffers of different ionic strength and composition were subjected to electric pulses (intensity 0.7 kV/mm and decay half-time 1 ms) at 7-10 degrees C and 20-24 degrees C. The transfer of the fluorescent dyes from the interior of the ghosts through the electropores was observed by low light level video microscopy. The pulses caused the fluorescence to appear outside the membranes as a transient cylindrical cloud directed toward the negative electrode during the first video frame (17 ms). It was similar in both rabbit and human erythrocyte ghosts and at both temperatures but differs for the two dyes, the fluorescence cylinder is long and tall for the FITC-dextran and relatively short and thick for the NBD-glucosamine. The molecular exchange was 2-3 orders of magnitude faster within the first 17 ms after the pulse than the diffusional exchange. It decreased with increasing ionic strength. Formulae for the transfer of molecules by electroosmotic flow through the pores are in agreement with these observations. They allow estimation of the total area of pores with radii larger than that of the fluorescent dye during the pulse. The major conclusion is that electroosmosis is the dominating mechanism of molecular exchange in electroporation of erythrocyte ghosts.     

Determination of electric field threshold for electrofusion of erythrocyte ghosts. Comparison of pulse-first and contact-first protocols.

Rabbit erythrocyte ghosts were fused by means of electric pulses to determine the electrofusion thresholds for these membranes. Two protocols were used to investigate fusion events: contact-first, and pulse-first. Electrical capacitance discharge (CD) pulses were used to induce fusion. Plots of fusion yield vs peak field strength yielded curves that intersected the field strength axis at positive values (pseudothresholds) which depended on the protocol and decay half time of the pulses. It was found that plots of pseudothreshold vs reciprocal half time were linear for each protocol; when extrapolated to reciprocal half time = 0 (i.e., t----infinity), these lines intersected the ordinate at values of the field strength considered to be the true electrofusion thresholds. In this fashion, the contact-first protocol gave an electrofusion threshold of 46.5 +/- 11.5 V/mm for hemoglobin-free ghosts (white ghosts) and 40.9 +/- 8.8 V/mm for ghosts with fractional hemoglobin (pink ghosts), while the threshold for the pulse-first protocol applied to pink ghosts was determined to be 93.4 +/- 11.0 V/mm. Although the thresholds depended on the electrofusion protocol, plots of critical field strength vs reciprocal time had the same slopes, i.e., approximately 24 Vs/mm. The results suggest that the fusogenic state induced by an electric pulse in either the contact-first protocol or the pulse-first protocol (long-lived fusogenic state) may in fact share a common mechanism, if the two states are not actually identical.     

Developmental potential of porcine nuclear transfer embryos derived from transgenic fetal fibroblasts infected with the gene for the green fluorescent protein: comparison of different fusion/activation conditions.

The in vitro developmental potential of porcine nuclear transfer (NT) embryos was evaluated. Oocytes were matured for 42-44 h, and metaphase II-oocytes were enucleated. Fetal fibroblasts infected with the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene were serum-starved for 3-5 days. A single cell was injected into the perivitelline space of the enucleated oocytes. The reconstructed oocytes were allocated to different fusion and activation conditions. In experiment 1, two different fusion/activation conditions were compared: two pulses of 1.2 kV/cm for 30 microsec (group A), or one pulse of 1.6 kV/cm for 30 microsec followed in 30 min by one pulse of 1.2 kV/cm for 30 microsec (group B). Parthenogenetic controls were created by using the group A parameter. The fusion rate in group A (mean +/- SEM, 68.4% +/- 3.9%) was higher (P < 0.05) than in group B (59.4% +/- 2.3%). The rates of cleavage (50.1% +/- 4.6% to 62.8% +/- 5.5%) were not different among control and treatment groups. However, the rate of parthenogenetic control embryos developing to the blastocyst stage (18.1% +/- 3.1%) was higher (P < 0.05) than the rate of NT embryos (5.9% +/- 1.7% and 4.9% +/- 2.5%). In experiment 2, we compared two pulses of 1.2 kV/cm (group C) versus two pulses of 1.3 kV/cm (group D). For two control groups, the same pulses as those given to group C or D, respectively, were supplied. The fusion rate in group D (70.6% +/- 4.2%) was higher (P < 0.05) than in group C (58.9% +/- 2.7%). The cleavage rates were not different among control and treatment groups (58.1% +/- 8.1% to 73.6% +/- 6.0%). However, the rate of embryos developing to the blastocyst stage in group D (3.5% +/- 1.7%) was lower (P < 0.05) than in controls and group C (11.4% +/- 2.0% to 16.4% +/- 1.1%). In experiment 3, we examined whether the presence of cytochalasin B (CB) during donor cell injection affects the development of NT embryos. The fusion rate of oocytes in the group with CB (78.4% +/- 1.4%) was higher (P < 0.05) than in the group without CB (70.9% +/- 0.2%). The cleavage rate of the control group (85.5% +/- 4.9%) was higher (P < 0.05) than those of the treatment groups (61.6% +/- 2.7% and 63.9% +/- 4.3%). However, the rates of embryos developing to the blastocyst stage (8.1% +/- 2.5% to 19.1% +/- 6.0%) and the mean cell number of blastocysts (29.4 +/- 5.2 to 45.7 +/- 6.4) were not different among control and treatment groups. Green fluorescence was observed at all stages in NT embryos. These results indicate that two pulses of 1.2 kV/cm are enough for fusion/activation of NT embryos to develop to the blastocyst stage, and that the presence of CB during donor cell injection is not necessary for early development of NT embryos.     

细胞电穿孔动态过程的荧光测量

利用改进后的Ｔｈ／ＤＰＡ荧光方法及探针ＥＢ对人血影及大鼠骨髓细胞电穿孔的动态过程及其与电脉冲参数的关系进行了系统的研究．测量结果表明,在临界点以上电场作用下,血影电穿孔在电击后０．２—０．３ｓ时达最大,在约０．８ｓ时愈合;而大鼠骨髓细胞电穿孔在电击后０．４—０．９ｓ达到最大,３－５ｓ左右愈合;电穿孔大小及扩大、愈合速率与电脉冲参数有关。１０－４０ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ乙醇和５－２０ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ成二醛抑制血影对Ｔｂ３＋离子的电通透,相同浓度的成二醛作用强于乙醇。这些结果将为电穿孔技术的合理应用提供参考。     

Voltage-driven ATP synthesis by beef heart mitochondrial F0F1-ATPase

The F0F1-ATPase of the inner mitochondrial membrane catalyzes the conversion of a proton electrochemical energy into the chemical bond energy of ATP (Boyer, P.D., Chance, B., Ernster, L., Mitchell, P., Racker, E., and Slater, E.C. (1977) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 46, 955-1026). To assess the role of the membrane potential (delta psi) in this process and to study the effect of very short pulses on ATP synthesis, we employed a high voltage pulsation method (Kinosita, K., and Tsong, T.Y. (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 1923-1927) to induce a delta psi of controlled magnitude and duration in a suspension of submitochondrial particles and F0F1-ATPase vesicles. Cyanide-treated submitochondrial particles were exposed to electric pulses of 10-30 kV/cm of magnitude (generating a peak delta psi of 150-450 mV) and 1-100 microseconds duration. Net [32P]ATP synthesis from [32P]Pi and ADP was observed with maximal values of 410 pmol/mg X pulse for a 30 kV/cm-100-microseconds pulse. This corresponds to a yield of 10-12 mol of ATP per mol of F0F1 complex per pulse. As many as 4 nmol/mg were produced after pulsing the same sample 8 times. By varying the ionic strength of the suspending medium, and consequently the pulse width, it is clearly shown that the synthesis was electrically driven and did not correlate with Joule heating of the sample. Titrations using specific inhibitors and ionophores were performed. The voltage-induced ATP synthesis was 50% inhibited by 0.11 microgram/mg of oligomycin and 2.4 nmol/mg of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Ionophores and uncouplers had varying degrees of inhibition. The dependence of ATP synthesis on pulse width was nonlinear, exhibiting a threshold at 10 microseconds and a biphasic behavior above this value. Isolated F0F1-ATPase reconstituted into asolectin vesicles also synthesized ATP when pulsed with electric fields. A 35 kV/cm pulse induced the synthesis of 115 pmol of ATP per mg of protein, which corresponds to approximately 0.34 mol of ATP per mol of F0F1-ATPase. This synthesis was also sensitive to oligomycin and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The possibility of turnover of the ATPase in microseconds is considered.     

Kinetics and mechanism of cell membrane electrofusion.

A new quantitative approach to study cell membrane electrofusion has been developed. Erythrocyte ghosts were brought into close contact using dielectrophoresis and then treated with one square or even exponentially decaying fusogenic pulse. Individual fusion events were followed by lateral diffusion of the fluorescent lipid analogue 1,1'-dihexadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (Dil) from originally labeled to unlabeled adjacent ghosts. It was found that ghost fusion can be described as a first-order rate process with corresponding rate constants; a true fusion rate constant, k(f), for the square waveform pulse and an effective fusion rate constant, k(ef), for the exponential pulse. Compared with the fusion yield, the fusion rate constants are more fundamental characteristics of the fusion process and have implications for its mechanisms. Values of k(f) for rabbit and human erythrocyte ghosts were obtained at different electric field strength and temperatures. Arrhenius k(f) plots revealed that the activation energy of ghost electrofusion is in the range of 6-10 kT. Measurements were also made with the rabbit erythrocyte ghosts exposed to 42 degrees C for 10 min (to disrupt the spectrin network) or 0.1-1.0 mM uranyl acetate (to stabilize the bilayer lipid matrix of membranes). A correlation between the dependence of the fusion and previously published pore-formation rate constants for all experimental conditions suggests that the cell membrane electrofusion process involve pores formed during reversible electrical breakdown. A statistical analysis of fusion products (a) further supports the idea that electrofusion is a stochastic process and (b) shows that the probability of ghost electrofusion is independent of the presence of Dil as a label as well as the number of fused ghosts.