Influence of Polar Polymers on the Aggregation and Fusion of Membranes

Abstract

Fusion and aggregation of liposomal membranes have attached much attention in conjunction with the great importance of fusion processes in cell physiology. It has been reported that several polar polymers are able to induce the aggregation and fusion of liposomes. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is known to induce the fusion at relatively high concentrations (Tilcock & Fisher, 1982). This polymer has also been used frequently to fuse biological cells for practical purposes, e.g. production of hybridoma cells. It has been shown that some polysaccharides as dextran induce the aggregation and fusion of liposomes (Sunamoto et al., 1980). The polysaccharides are important components of cell surfaces and studies of the interactions with phospholipid surfaces can contribute to the understanding of their role in membrane-membrane interactions.