TY - JOUR
T1 - Response of an actin network in vesicles under electric pulses
AU - Perrier, Dayinta L.
AU - Vahid, Afshin
AU - Kathavi, Vaishnavi
AU - Stam, Lotte
AU - Rems, Lea
AU - Mulla, Yuval
AU - Muralidharan, Aswin
AU - Koenderink, Gijsje H.
AU - Kreutzer, Michiel T.
AU - Boukany, Pouyan E.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - We study the role of a biomimetic actin network during the application of electric pulses that induce electroporation or electropermeabilization, using giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) as a model system. The actin cortex, a subjacently attached interconnected network of actin filaments, regulates the shape and mechanical properties of the plasma membrane of mammalian cells, and is a major factor influencing the mechanical response of the cell to external physical cues. We demonstrate that the presence of an actin shell inhibits the formation of macropores in the electroporated GUVs. Additionally, experiments on the uptake of dye molecules after electroporation show that the actin network slows down the resealing process of the permeabilized membrane. We further analyze the stability of the actin network inside the GUVs exposed to high electric pulses. We find disruption of the actin layer that is likely due to the electrophoretic forces acting on the actin filaments during the permeabilization of the GUVs. Our findings on the GUVs containing a biomimetic network provide a step towards understanding the discrepancies between the electroporation mechanism of a living cell and its simplified model of the empty GUV.
AB - We study the role of a biomimetic actin network during the application of electric pulses that induce electroporation or electropermeabilization, using giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) as a model system. The actin cortex, a subjacently attached interconnected network of actin filaments, regulates the shape and mechanical properties of the plasma membrane of mammalian cells, and is a major factor influencing the mechanical response of the cell to external physical cues. We demonstrate that the presence of an actin shell inhibits the formation of macropores in the electroporated GUVs. Additionally, experiments on the uptake of dye molecules after electroporation show that the actin network slows down the resealing process of the permeabilized membrane. We further analyze the stability of the actin network inside the GUVs exposed to high electric pulses. We find disruption of the actin layer that is likely due to the electrophoretic forces acting on the actin filaments during the permeabilization of the GUVs. Our findings on the GUVs containing a biomimetic network provide a step towards understanding the discrepancies between the electroporation mechanism of a living cell and its simplified model of the empty GUV.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066473921&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-019-44613-5
DO - 10.1038/s41598-019-44613-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85066473921
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 9
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 8151
ER -