ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the three types of cell fusion techniques and cites the biotechnological potential of cell fusion experiments. The three fusion techniques are biological fusion agents, chemical fusion agents and physical fusion agents. The chapter presents particular applications of fusion techniques to invertebrate cells in culture. Jun Mitsuhashi reported on in vitro attempts to fuse cells from mosquito, fly, beetle, and moth insects using biological and chemical agents. Artificial fusion of Drosophila cells with a number of agents has been tried by several investigators. S. Shimizu investigated protoplast fusion by polyethylene glycol of the insect pathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana, B. brongniartii, and B. amorpha. Intraspecific protoplast fusion of B. bassiana and B. amorpha produced prototrophic colonies of high frequencies. An important application of cell fusion techniques should be directed to the problems of pest insects and crop diseases. Cell fusion techniques may also be applied to environmental problems involving microbial insecticides and fungus-caused tree diseases.
