Figure 2.

Creation of a PC-12 homokaryon. The cells were originally located at a distance of about 100 μm from each other. By using the microelectrodes, they were placed next to each other. The cells were pretreated with ac dielectrophoresis (0.3–3 kV/cm, 1 MHz for 1 min), in hypoosmotic sorbitol fusion medium. A shows cells immediately after dielectrophoresis, and a close contact is visualized by the flattened contact zone between the cells. After dielectrophoresis for 30 s, five dc fusion pulses were applied (3 kV/cm, 1-ms duration for each pulse, at approximately 1 Hz), after which an immediate broadening of the contact zone between the cells could be visualized. Within 1 min, a cytoplasmic continuity was observed, and after 2 min, the shape had stabilized, as shown in B. Bar = 10 μm.