Permeabilization of cell membrane by programmed form of electrical pulses

The role of the shape of electric pulses of cell permeabilization and lysis was studied using the newly developed DPS electroporator. The effects of bipolar pulses, steep rising and falling edges in the pulses, delays between pulses, and shapes of DC signals between the edges on the lysis of bovine oocytes and the permeabilization of their cell membranes were investigated. Comparing the permeabilization rates with the lysis rates revealed a number of correlations, which make it possible to optimize the pulse shapes for achieving maximum permeabilization rates while keeping the lysis rates low. The optimization of pulse shape is essential for improving the procedure of electroporation in mammalian cloning technology.