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<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">A <strong>cytoplasmic hybrid</strong> (or <strong>cybrid</strong>, a portmanteau of the two words) is a eukaryotic cell line produced by the fusion of a whole cell with a cytoplast.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">Cytoplasts are enucleated cells. This enucleation can be effected by simultaneous application of centrifugal force and treatment of the cell with an agent that disrupts the cytoskeleton.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">A special case of cybrid formation involves the use of <em>[[rho-zero]]</em> cells as the whole cell partner in the fusion.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">Rho-zero cells are cells which have been depleted of their own mitochondrial DNA by prolonged incubation with [[ethidium bromide]], a chemical which inhibits mitochondrial DNA replication. The rho-zero cells do retain mitochondria and can grow in rich culture medium with certain supplements.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">They do retain their own nuclear genome.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">A cybrid is then a hybrid cell which combines the nuclear genome from one source with the mitochondrial genome from another source. Using this powerful tool, it is possible to dissociate the genetic contribution of the mitochondrial genome from that of the nuclear genome.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">Cybrids are valuable in mitochondrial research and were used to prove mitochondrial involvement in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other conditions.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">Cytoplasts are enucleated cells. This enucleation can be effected by simultaneous application of centrifugal force and treatment of the cell with an agent that disrupts the cytoskeleton.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">A special case of cybrid formation involves the use of <em>[[rho-zero]]</em> cells as the whole cell partner in the fusion.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">Rho-zero cells are cells which have been depleted of their own mitochondrial DNA by prolonged incubation with [[ethidium bromide]], a chemical which inhibits mitochondrial DNA replication. The rho-zero cells do retain mitochondria and can grow in rich culture medium with certain supplements.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">They do retain their own nuclear genome.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">A cybrid is then a hybrid cell which combines the nuclear genome from one source with the mitochondrial genome from another source. Using this powerful tool, it is possible to dissociate the genetic contribution of the mitochondrial genome from that of the nuclear genome.</span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-SIZE: small">Cybrids are valuable in mitochondrial research and were used to prove mitochondrial involvement in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other conditions.</span></p>