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#fusogen

2 public questions tagged with this topic.

Plant tissue culture 2

Which of the following is NOT a fusogen?

Colchicine is not considered fusogen, unlike true fusogenic agents that promote membrane merging of protoplasts. Legitimate fusogens include polyethylene glycol PEG high molecular weight polymer that dehydrates membrane interface creating calcium bridges neutralizing negative charge inducing lipid mixing upon dilution, high concentration calcium ions at alkaline pH around 10.5 similar mechanism reducing electrostatic repulsion, and inactivated Sendai virus bearing fusogenic HN and F glycoproteins that merge animal and plant membranes albeit rarely used now due to biohazard handling. Electrical

Ref: Anne & Harada 1991 fusogens list; Kao 1977 colchicine not fusogen.

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Plant tissue culture 2

Common fusogen used for induced protoplast fusion is:

Common chemical fusogen employed to induce protoplast fusion is polyethylene glycol PEG polymer with molecular weight typically 1500 to 6000 daltons applied at concentration 15 to 40 percent weight per volume combined with calcium ions 50 millimolar and alkaline pH 9 to 10. PEG induces fusion through multiple mechanisms: it is highly hydrophilic binding water molecules dehydrating intermembrane space reducing hydration repulsion between negatively charged phospholipid bilayers, promotes close apposition of membranes via calcium bridging between phosphate head groups and creates molecular disor

Ref: Kao & Michayluk 1974 PEG fusion; NCBI protoplast fusion review.

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