Voltage-dependent introduction of a d[alpha]octothymidylate into electropermeabilized cells

DC-3F cells were submitted to electric square wave pulses in the presence of a d[alpha]octothymidylate 32P labelled in the 5' position. Radioactivity was incorporated in a voltage-dependent manner and reached a maximum for a field intensity of 1300-1400 V.cm-1. Growth curves and parallel cloning efficiency experiments indicated that cell viability was not altered by electric pulses, alone or in the presence of the oligothymidylate, below a field intensity of 1300 V.cm-1. Using affinity chromatography we extracted the incorporated oligonucleotide and showed that it was not degraded during the electropermeabilization experiment time.