Membrane potential oscillations in homokaryons : an endogenous signal for detecting intercellular communication

Abstract

Fusion of cells by polyethylene glycol results in homokaryons with lower membrane input resistances than their parental cells, but otherwise unchanged membrane properties. With these large cells, long lasting intracellular recordings can be realized which are impossible with single parental cells. Homokaryons often display hyperpolarizing (up to 50 mV) oscillations of their membrane potentials. In electrically non-coupled cell lines (HeLa, L, Cl-1D) the frequencies of these endogenous signals are 3 oscillations per min. Trypsinized homokaryons of electrically coupled cell lines (BICR/M1R-K, 3T3, BT5C2) have frequencies of 0.3 oscillations per min. By recording the membrane potential oscillations of two contacting homokaryons, the formation of low resistance junctions was followed - without applying exogenous signals - by a superposition of the individual oscillations. Our electronmicroscopical investigations revealed that the intercellular coupling through the membranes of homokaryons can be attributed to gap junctions.