Fusion between vesicles, cells, or organelles may be defined as confluence of two membrane-bound compartments without access of their solutes to external milieu. To study fusion by this criterion, we have trapped the metallochromic calcium-sensitive dye, arsenazo III (AIII), partially calcium-saturated (AIIICa) Fusion of biological membranes is required for such processes as phagocytosis, secretion, cell division, and poly-or heterokaryon formation (1). Although quantification of the process is difficult, varying degrees of success have been reported with such fusion systems as cell-cell (2, 3), cell-liposome (4-7), organelle-organelle (8, 9), organelle-liposome (10), and liposome-liposome ( 1-13). Techniques used to demonstrate fusion have included light and electron microscopic observation (2-5, 9, 12, 14, 15), determination of the redistribution of labeled lipids and solutes between fusing species (3-7), and indirect measurements of optical properties of fusing vesicles (16
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