Quantification of pulsed electric field for the rupture of giant vesicles with various surface charges, cholesterols and osmotic pressures

Abstract

Electropermeabilization is a promising phenomenon that occurs when pulsed electric field with high frequency is applied to cells/vesicles. We quantify the required values of pulsed electric fields for the rupture of cell-sized giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) which are prepared under various surface charges, cholesterol contents and osmotic pressures. The probability of rupture and the average time of rupture are evaluated under these conditions. The electric field changes from 500 to 410 Vcm-1 by varying the anionic lipid mole fraction from 0 to 0.60 for getting the maximum probability of rupture (i.e., 1.0). In contrast, the same probability of rupture is obtained for changing the electric field from 410 to 630 Vcm-1 by varying the cholesterol mole fraction in the membranes from 0 to 0.40. These results suggest that the required electric field for the rupture decreases with the increase of surface charge density but increases with the increase of cholesterol. We also quantify the electric field for the rupture of GUVs containing anionic mole fraction of 0.40 under various osmotic pressures. In the absence of osmotic pressure, the electric field for the rupture is obtained 430 Vcm-1, whereas the field is 300 Vcm-1 in the presence of 17 mOsmL-1, indicating the instability of GUVs at higher osmotic pressures. These investigations open an avenue of possibilities for finding the electric field dependent rupture of cell-like vesicles along with the insight of biophysical and biochemical processes.

Effects of polyethylene glycol-grafted phospholipid on the anionic magnetite nanoparticles-induced deformation and poration in giant lipid vesicles

“…Vesicles such as GUVs with diameters �10 μm were used for examining and revealing the pore formation event in the membrane due to antimicrobial peptides [28][29][30], mechanical tension of membrane [31,32], osmotic pressure effect [33,34], rupture of membrane comprising polar lipids extracted from E. coli [35], electroporation [36], and to study the size distribution of self-assemble vesicles [37]. The real-time measurement of the shape and physical properties of a 'single GUV' under physiological condition can be performed using optical microscopes.…”

All–atom molecular dynamics simulation of the combined effects of different phospholipids and cholesterol contents on electroporation

“…The researchers used cholesterol to prepare giant unilamellar vesicles, and found that the rupture of the plasma membrane under the electric field would be hindered by cholesterol. 37,[58][59][60] Most simulations suggested that cholesterol delayed the occurrence of electroporation, but the effect of cholesterol on the perforation propensity of lipid bilayer was strongly dependent on the structure of lipids. Mauroy et al reported that the decrease of poration propensity in POPC phospholipid was due to the increase content of cholesterol, 61 but Portet found that the increasing cholesterol accelerated the occurrence of electroporation in dioleoylphosphocholine (DOPC) vesicles.…”

All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the combined effects of different phospholipids and cholesterol content on electroporation

“…Researchers used cholesterol to prepare giant unilamellar vesicles, and found that the rupture of the plasma membrane under an electric field would be hindered by cholesterol. 37,58–60 Most simulations suggested that cholesterol delayed the occurrence of electroporation, but the effect of cholesterol on the propensity for perforation of the lipid bilayers was strongly dependent on the structure of the lipids. Mauroy et al reported that the decrease in the propensity for poration for the POPC phospholipid was due to the increased content of cholesterol, 61 but Portet found that increasing the content of cholesterol accelerated the occurrence of electroporation in dioleoylphosphocholine (DOPC) vesicles.…”