The correct combination is (2) (A), (C) and (D). Protoplast fusion uses naked plant cells (protoplasts), can involve partial genome transfer, and allows forced fusion of cells from two different plants; transfer of organelles is very much possible, so statement B is incorrect.

Evaluating each statement

A. Naked plant cells are used. – True
Protoplasts are plant cells whose cell wall has been enzymatically removed, leaving a “naked” cell bound only by the plasma membrane. These naked cells are precisely what are used for protoplast fusion and somatic hybridization.

B. Transfer of organelles is not possible. – False
One of the major applications of protoplast fusion is the transfer of cytoplasmic organelles (chloroplasts, mitochondria) and their genomes, leading to cytoplasmic hybrids (cybrids) and new combinations of organelle‑encoded traits (e.g., male sterility, cytoplasmic disease resistance). Because organelles lie in the shared cytoplasm of fused protoplasts, their transfer is not only possible but common.

C. Partial genome transfer is involved. – True
Besides full somatic hybrids, protoplast fusion often yields asymmetric hybrids, where parts of the nuclear genome from one parent are eliminated. This results in partial genome transfer or introgression of chromosome segments or gene blocks rather than complete chromosome sets.

D. Cells from two different plants can be mixed together and forced to fuse. – True
In practice, protoplasts from two different species, genera or cultivars are mixed and then forced to fuse using fusogens such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or electric pulses (electrofusion), producing hybrid or cybrid cells that can regenerate into plants.

Option-by-option reasoning

• (1) (A), (B) and (C) – Incorrect: includes B, which is false because organelle transfer is possible.

• (2) (A), (C) and (D) – Correct: all three statements accurately describe central aspects of protoplast fusion.

• (3) (A), (B) and (D) – Incorrect: again includes the false statement B.

• (4) (B), (C) and (D) – Incorrect: B is false, so this combination cannot be right.

SEO‑oriented introduction (for article use)

Protoplast fusion in plant tissue culture is a powerful tool for crop improvement because it fuses naked plant cells (protoplasts) from different parents, enabling partial nuclear genome transfer and exchange of organelles in a single step. By mixing and forcibly fusing protoplasts from two plants, breeders can combine desirable traits even between sexually incompatible species, which is why statements A, C and D—but not B—correctly describe this technique.