Analysis of genetic complementation by whole-cell microtechniques in fibroblast heterokaryons

A whole-cell microtechnique for the determination of complementation of human metabolic disorders is presented. This procedure permits the isolation of individual multinucleate cells produced by cell fusion for the quantitative evaluation of complementation. Mutant fibroblasts with a deficiency of propionyl-CoA carboxylase activity (EC 6.4.1.3) that had been mapped to complementation groups pcc and bio were used to evaluate the microtechnique. Complementation was monitored by the determination of [14C]propionate incorporation into cellular macromolecules. Single cells or a small number of cells were isolated from plastic film dishes after radioactive incubation by cutting out the portion of the plastic film holding the desired cells. Isotope incorporation was linear in 10-50 unfused cells and in 10-50 fused normal cells containing five or more nuclei. There was also a direct correlation between the nuclear content of cells and the amount of isotope incorporated. Three pcc and two bio mutants were fused in pairwise combinations by means of polyethylene glycol and complementation was determined by isotope incorporation in sets of 50 multinucleate cells, each cell isolated individually. The results agreed with autoradiographic data for both complementing and noncomplementing strains. The method is quantitative and gives severalfold higher sensitivity than current procedures. The method can be applied to the complementation analysis of a wide variety of inherited disorders of intermediary metabolism.