Permeability of Phospholipid Membranes to Divalent Cations: The Effect of Pulsed Electric Field
Małgorzata Jurak1, Monika Sujka2, Agnieszka Ewa Wiącek1
1Department of Interfacial Phenomena, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Maria Curie-Skłodowska Sq. 3, 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
Abstract:
Achieving a high nutritional value of food often involves fortifying microorganisms (such as bacteria and yeast) used in baking and dairy industry with essential elements. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a pulsed electric field (PEF) on the penetration and accumulation of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions into model membranes of the food-grade yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Simplified model membranes (monolayers and liposomes) were constructed using the phospholipid 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC). The Langmuir monolayer technique, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and microelectrophoresis were employed to characterize the physicochemical properties of the model membranes investigated. The results showed significant molecular-level differences in the interactions of the selected cations with lipid monolayers and bilayers in liposome structures. Both cations deeply penetrated the membrane's hydrophilic region, yet two competing effects were evident: expansion induced by hydrated Mg2+ and condensation driven by Ca2+ bridging. Furthermore, the application of PEF increased the concentration of ions absorbed by the liposomes. Specifically, optimized PEF parameters resulted in cation accumulation within the model membranes, ranging from 6 to 13%. This finding correlates well with the increased Ca2+ and Mg2+ uptake observed in real yeast cells, providing a deeper understanding of the cell membrane-environment interface and the underlying processes.
More Related Videos
07:18Lipid Bilayer Experiments with Contact Bubble Bilayers for Patch-Clampers
Published on: January 16, 2019
10:31A Liposome Membrane Permeability Assay for Investigating the Effects of Phosphatidylinositol Phosphate Groups on Membranotropic Action of Venom PLA2
Published on: September 26, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor
Patch Clamp
In this method, a glass micropipette containing electrolyte solution is tightly sealed against a small portion of the cell membrane. As a result, a patch of the cell...
Electric Field of a Charged Disk
The system's symmetry is in the cylindrical directions across the plane of the charge. As a result, the electric fields created by various surface charge elements nullify each other in the direction parallel to the surface. Thereby, the resulting electric field is perpendicular to the plane. Since the disk is...
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane
