|
|
Study of the Influence of Faradaic Processes on the Efficiency of Yeast Electroporation
Martinů, Dominik ; Krčma, František (referee) ; Ehlich, Jiří (advisor)
Electroporation is a widely used method in biotechnology and healthcare. It involves the application of short, intense electric pulses, which create pores in the cell membrane. These pores allow the exchange of molecules between the electrolyte and the intracellular environment. Although electroporation is a standard technique, its exact mechanism remains unknown and is the subject of current research. It is assumed that the primary mechanism of electroporation is the effect of the electric field itself. Recent studies, however, suggest that one of the accompanying mechanisms may also be the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and generally the products of faradaic processes. These highly oxidizing molecules can influence both the efficiency of electroporation and cell viability. The hypothesis was that by anodizing electroporation electrodes, i.e., creating a thin dielectric layer on their surface, the production of ROS can be prevented. By subsequently comparing the efficiency of electroporation using prepared capacitive electrodes and classic faradaic electrodes, it would be possible to reveal the effect of ROS on electroporation. The production of H2O2, as a representative of ROS, was mapped using standard electroporation buffers, protocols, and various electrode materials. The concentration of H2O2 was determined spectrophotometrically by its reaction with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Electrodes were selected to achieve low, medium, and high production of H2O2. These selected electrodes were used for in vitro electroporation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, with the efficiency of permeabilization determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and fluorescence measurement of propidium iodide (PI) intake. It was found that the action of ROS is not the primary mechanism of pore formation in the cell membrane during electroporation and does not significantly affect the efficiency of this method. However, the results do not exclude their role in secondary processes that affect the kinetics of pore closure and cell viability after electroporation.
|
guest ::
