Extreme Elongation of Vesicles Under DC Electric Fields

Electrodeformation refers to the deformation of cell or vesicle lipid membranes under the application of an electric field. Such a phenomenon often accompanies electroporation processes, and also can be leveraged to detect pathological changes in cells. Recent studies have suggested that the electrical conductivity difference across the lipid membrane is a dominant factor in determining the characteristics of deformation, and various regimes of deformation were observed. Using a vesicle model system, the current work is the first report of extreme elongation of vesicles of high conductivity ratio under DC electric fields. The results suggest that the osmolarity difference between the encapsulated and bathing solutions may contribute to such abnormal deformation behavior.Copyright © 2008 by ASME