Plasma membrane voltage changes during nanosecond pulsed electric field exposure

Area of Science:

• Cellular electrophysiology
• Biophysics of electric field-cell interactions

Background:

• Understanding cell membrane potential changes is crucial for applications like electroporation.
• Jurkat cells are a human T-cell line commonly used in biological research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the membrane potential changes in Jurkat cells exposed to nanosecond pulsed electric fields.
• To determine the voltage distribution across the cell membrane during electric field exposure.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nanosecond pulsed electric fields (60 ns duration, ~100 kV/cm).
• Employed the voltage-sensitive dye ANNINE-6 for subnanosecond voltage response.
• Achieved 5 ns temporal resolution using synchronized tunable laser pulses.

Main Results:

• Observed asymmetric voltage distribution across the cell membrane.
• Anodic pole reached 1.6 V, while the cathodic pole reached 0.6 V after 15 ns.
• Demonstrated significant electric field penetration into the cell interior and organelles.

Conclusions:

• Nanosecond pulsed electric fields induce asymmetric membrane potential changes in Jurkat cells.
• The observed asymmetry suggests differential conduction mechanisms in cell hemispheres.
• The study highlights efficient electric field penetration into cellular components.