Measurement and characteristics of fusion of isolated membrane fractions from maize root tips.

Maize root tips were incubated in vivo with radioactive glucose, choline or diazotized sulphanilic acid. Membrane fractions were prepared from radioactive and non-radioactive roots. The transfer of radioactivity between mixed membrane fractions has enabled a quantitative system to be developed to study in vitro membrane fusion between Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane-rich fractions. Membrane fusion was found to be dependent on time, temperature, Mn2+ and Ca2+. Mn2+ was as effective as Ca2+, other divalent cations had a moderate or no effect. The effect of various substances, including inhibitors of microtubular and microfilament assembly and blocking reagents for sulphydryl group on membrane fusion has been investigated. The process appears to be dependent on the membrane proteins or glycoproteins; trypsinization of mixed membranes prior to the addition of Ca2+ inhibited significantly the fusion process. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of trypsin-treated membranes revealed the selective loss of one particular polypeptide which could play a role in membrane fusion.