Feasibility Study of Cytochalasin B Enucleation of Cells

Abstract : The goal of this study was to explore the feasibility of enucleating cells with Cytochalasi- 13 and subsequently to be able to transfer nuclei from one cell type to another. It was hoped that once such transfer had been made that hybrid cells composed of nuclei of one cell and cytoplasm of another could be useful in the study of a wide variety of problems which would involve the influence of cytoplasm on the nucleus and the converse. The results of this study and others indicate that enucleation can be accomplished with relative ease. In addition we found that a type of nucleus can be inserted into the cytoplasm of enucleated cells and survive. The problem of reinserting a heterologus (i.e. nucleus from another cell) nucleus into an enucleated cytoplasm has not been explored. Such reinsertion seems to remain possible.