Chejanovsky, N., Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 JerusalemIsrael
Eytan, G.D., Department of Biology, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
Loyter, A., Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 JerusalemIsrael

Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b have been inserted into reconstituted envelopes of Sendai virus particles. Fluorescence measurements indicated a high efficiency of energy transfer between the two chlorophyll mole- cules due to their close proximity in the viral envelope. Fusion of reconstituted, pigmented virus envelopes with various biological cell membranes at 37 °C resulted in a significant decrease in the yield of energy transfer. Reduction in the efficiency of energy transfer was temperature and time dependent, and was also dependent upon the ratio between the reconstituted Sendai virus envelopes (donor) and recipient cells (ac- ceptor). No reduction in the efficiency of energy transfer was observed when non-fusogenic, reconstituted viral envelopes were incubated with cell membranes. Membrane fusion Sendai virus Energy transfer. © 1984.