Applied Sciences (Sep 2020)

Investigation of Plasmid DNA Delivery and Cell Viability Dynamics for Optimal Cell Electrotransfection In Vitro

  • Sonam Chopra,
  • Paulius Ruzgys,
  • Martynas Maciulevičius,
  • Milda Jakutavičiūtė,
  • Saulius Šatkauskas

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/app10176070
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 17
p. 6070

Abstract

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Electroporation is an effective method for delivering plasmid DNA molecules into cells. The efficiency of gene electrotransfer depends on several factors. To achieve high transfection efficiency while maintaining cell viability is a tedious task in electroporation. Here, we present a combined study in which the dynamics of both evaluation types of transfection efficiency and the cell viability were evaluated in dependence of plasmid concentration as well as at the different number of high voltage (HV) electric pulses. The results of this study reveal a quantitative sigmoidal (R2 > 0.95) dependence of the transfection efficiency and cell viability on the distance between the cell membrane and the nearest plasmid. We propose this distance value as a new, more accurate output parameter that could be used in further optimization studies as a predictor and a measure of electrotransfection efficiency.

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