Emergence of a large pore subpopulation during electroporating pulses
Kyle C Smith1, Reuben S Son2, T R Gowrishankar2
1Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Bioelectrochemistry (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|December 3, 2013
Summary
Electroporation uses electrical pulses to create temporary pores in cell membranes for molecular transport. Modeling reveals pore dynamics, including large pore formation crucial for macromolecule delivery.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Electroporation facilitates molecular transport across cell membranes via transient aqueous pores.
- Direct experimental observation of these pores remains challenging.
- Cell system modeling offers a predictive approach to understand electroporation dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model the life cycle of electroporation-induced pores.
- To investigate the impact of pulse duration on pore size distribution.
- To elucidate the role of transient large pores in macromolecule transport.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a dynamic cell system model for electroporation.
- Simulated pore population dynamics under varying pulse durations (100 ns to 1 ms).
- Adjusted field strength to maintain a consistent total pore number across simulations.
Main Results:
- Modeled pore creation, expansion to ~30 nm, and subsequent contraction to ~1 nm pores.
- Observed significant variations in pore size distributions with increasing pulse duration.
- Identified a distinct subpopulation of large pores emerging with microsecond-duration pulses.
Conclusions:
- Electroporation pore dynamics are complex and pulse-duration dependent.
- Transient large pores, modeled here, are critical for understanding macromolecule transport during electroporation.
- Dynamic modeling provides insights into experimentally elusive pore populations.
