Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Actin Cytoskeleton in the Sonoporated HUVECs

Sonoporation-based therapy shows great potential for clinical application. Actin cytoskeleton directly interconnects with plasma membrane and may be affected by sonoporation. This study aims to understand what the spatiotemporal dynamics of actin cytoskeleton is in the sonoporated plasma membrane. 1.5-MHz ultrasound with 13.33 µs length and 0.70 MPa peak negative pressure was applied to initiate sonoporation. It was observed the dynamics of actin cytoskeleton and plasma membrane at single-cell level. We found: 1) The dynamics of the disrupted actin cytoskeleton caused by sonoporation included three phases: expansion, contraction and resealing, and recovery. 2) The dynamics of the disrupted actin cytoskeleton was almost synchronized with that of the perforated plasma membrane in the reversibly sonoporated cells. 3) The closing time of the perforated plasma membrane was faster than the resealing time of the disrupted actin cytoskeleton in moderately sonoporated cells. These findings provide new insight in the resealing and recovery of the sonoporated cells.