Real-time membrane fusion of giant polymer vesicles

Membrane fusion is very important for the formation of many complex organs in metazoans throughout evolution, such as muscles, bones, and placentae. Lipid vesicles (liposomes) are frequently used as model membranes to study the fusion process. This work demonstrates for the first time the real-time membrane fusion of giant polymer vesicles by directly displaying a series of high-resolution and real-time transformation images of individual vesicles. The fusion process includes the sequential steps of membrane contact, forming the center wall, symmetric expansion of fusion pore and complete fusion, undergoing the intermediates of "8" shape with a protruding rim at the contact site, peanut (pear) shape, and oblate sphere. The vesicle swells during fusion, and the fusing vesicle only deforms in the neck domain around the fusion pore in the lateral direction, which verifies the importance of the lateral tension on the fusion pore at the vesicle deformation level. The successful fusion of the synthetic and protein-free polymer vesicles reported here also supports that vesicle proximity combined with membrane perturbation suffices to induce membrane fusion, and that the protein is not necessary for the fusion process.