Fusion of hematopoietic cells with Purkinje neurons does not lead to stable heterokaryon formation under noninvasive conditions

Transplanted hematopoietic cells have previously been shown to contribute to cells of other tissues by cell fusion. We wanted to elucidate whether this phenomenon of cell fusion also occurs under physiological conditions. Using a transgenic mouse reporter system to irreversibly label cells of the hematopoietic lineage, we were able to test their contribution to other tissues in the absence of any additional and potentially confounding factors such as irradiation or chemoablation. We found genetically marked, fused Purkinje neurons as well as hepatocytes in numbers comparable to previous bone marrow transplantation studies. The number of fused Purkinje neurons increased after intrathecal administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide, suggesting that cell fusion can be induced by inflammation. In contrast to previous studies, however, genetically labeled Purkinje neurons never contained more than one nucleus, and we found only a single cell containing two Y-chromosomes in a male mouse. Consistent with results from the mouse model and unlike human bone marrow transplant recipients, postmortem adult human cerebelli of nontransplanted individuals were devoid of binucleated or polyploid Purkinje neurons. Therefore, our data suggests that fusion of hematopoietic cells with Purkinje neurons is only transient and does not lead to stable heterokaryon formation under noninvasive conditions.