Plasma membranes: isolation from naturally fused and lysolecithin-treated muscle cells.

A medium containing bicarbonate and calcium was used to isolate plasma membranes of cultured muscle cells. Membranes from differentiated myotubes, as well as the labile, largely unfused, lysolecithin-treated cells from the same culture could be isolated by identical manipulations. Adenylate cyclase of high specific activity was assayed in plasma membranes from both types of cells. Lysolecithin treatment apparently interferes with the metabolism and turnover of membrane phospholipids and thus prevents the natural fusion of muscle cells.