title: Pulsed electric field reduces the permeability of potato cell wall.
abstract: The effect of the application of pulsed electric fields to potato tissue on the diffusion of the fluorescent dye FM1-43 through the cell wall was studied. Potato tissue was subjected to field strengths ranging from 30 to 500 V/cm, with one 1 ms rectangular pulse, before application of FM1-43 and microscopic examination. Our results show a slower diffusion of FM1-43 in the electropulsed tissue when compared with that in the non-pulsed tissue, suggesting that the electric field decreased the cell wall permeability. This is a fast response that is already detected within 30 s after the delivery of the electric field. This response was mimicked by exogenous H2O2 and blocked by sodium azide, an inhibitor of the production of H2O2 by peroxidases.
authors.affiliation: IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal. federico.gomez@deb.uminho.pt
authors.forename: Federico Gómez
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: P Thomas
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Vernier
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dejmek
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gundersen
mesh_terms: D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*