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Electropore diameters, lifetimes, numbers, and locations in individual erythrocyte ghosts
Author(s) -
Sowers Arthur E.,
Lieber Michael R.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(86)80893-6
Subject(s) - radius , hydrodynamic radius , biophysics , electric field , fluorescence , chemistry , electrode , erythrocyte membrane , membrane , molecule , analytical chemistry (journal) , molecular physics , materials science , physics , optics , nanotechnology , biology , biochemistry , chromatography , computer security , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , computer science , dynamic light scattering , nanoparticle
Low light level video microscopy was used to study the diameter, lifetime, number, and location characteristics of electric field‐induced pores (electropores) in erythrocyte ghosts. The diameter of electropores was probed by following the efflux of soluble fluorescent‐tagged molecules out of the resealed ghost cytoplasmic compartments. After reaching a peak radius of at least 8.4 nm the electropores resealed within 200 ms to a radius of about 0.5 nm and stayed at that radius thereafter. Video sequences clearly show that pores are induced preferentially in the cathodal hemisphere. Pores induced in the hemisphere facing the positive electrode were either (i) never greater than 0.5 nm in radius, (ii) much smaller in number if they were greater than 0.5 nm in radius, or (iii) shorter lived. Calculations indicated that an upper limit of 700 electropores were induced per membrane.