Viral and non-viral induced fusion of pronase-digested human erythrocyte ghosts.

Human erythrocyte ghosts but was able to fuse only iso-human erythrocyte ghosts. Iso- and hypo-human erythrocyte ghosts were incubated with the proteolytic enzyme pronase under isotonic (iso-human erythrocyte ghosts) or hypotonic (hypo-human erythrocyte ghosts) conditions. Gel electrophoresis and electron microscope (freeze-etching) studies revealed that most of the erythrocyte membrane polypeptides were hydrolyzed by pronase under hypotonic conditions. Sendai virus readily agglutinated both pronase-digested iso-human erythrocyte ghosts and hypo-human erythrocyte ghosts were fused by the non-viral fusogenic agent glyceromonooleate. Freeze-etching studies revealed that during fusion the membranes of pronase-digested human erythrocyte ghosts are intermixed.