Question:medium
Cell fusion is an innovative method of preparing specific antibodies. Techniques to induce cell fusion include all of the following EXCEPT:
Cell fusion is an innovative method of preparing specific antibodies. Techniques to induce cell fusion include all of the following EXCEPT:
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Recall the three real fusogens: virus, chemical (PEG), and electric pulse.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Attaching inactive viral particles on the cell membrane
- Adding ethylene glycol
- Applying a small electric current
- Reducing the viscosity of the membrane
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
This "all except" question tests the real-world toolkit for fusing cells when generating hybridomas. Three genuine approaches exist. First, biological: coat the cells with an inactivated fusogenic virus such as Sendai virus, whose envelope proteins force adjacent membranes to merge. Second, chemical: expose the cells to a polyol fusogen like polyethylene glycol or ethylene glycol, which strips away surface water, pulls membranes into intimate contact, and triggers fusion. Third, physical: deliver a brief electric pulse (electrofusion), which transiently breaks down the membrane and lets paired cells coalesce. Each of these is an established induction method. The remaining choice, simply lowering membrane viscosity, is not how cell fusion is actually induced; it is a vague property change rather than a recognised technique, which marks it as the exception.
\[\boxed{\text{Reducing the viscosity of the membrane}}\]
\[\boxed{\text{Reducing the viscosity of the membrane}}\]
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