title: Caspase dependent apoptosis induced in yeast cells by nanosecond pulsed electric fields.
abstract: Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells were used as a model organism to investigate the effects of various pulsed electric fields on the programed death of such cells. These were exposed to electric field pulses with field strengths (E) of up to 220kV/cm. The effects of square shaped pulses having different durations (τ=10-90ns) and different pulse numbers (pn=1-5) were then analysed. The obtained results show that nanosecond pulses can induce the death of such cells, which in turn is dependent on the electric field pulse parameters and increase with the rise in E, τ and pn. The decrease of the cells' viability was accompanied by an increase in the active form of intracellular yeast metacaspases. It was thus shown that nanosecond electric field pulses induced the caspase-dependent yeast cell death.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bio-Nanotechnology, State Research Institute, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Povilas
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simonis
authors.affiliation: High Power Pulse Laboratory, State Research Institute, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Skirmantas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kersulis
authors.affiliation: High Power Pulse Laboratory, State Research Institute, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Voitech
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stankevich
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bio-Nanotechnology, State Research Institute, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; State Research Institute Center for Innovative Medicine, Santariškių 5, LT-08406 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kaseta
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bio-Nanotechnology, State Research Institute, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University, Sauletekio ave. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Egle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lastauskiene
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bio-Nanotechnology, State Research Institute, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University, Sauletekio ave. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania. Electronic address: arunas.stirke@ftmc.lt.
authors.forename: Arunas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stirke
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D018274:Electroporation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D020169:Caspases
keywords: Apoptosis; Electroporation; Metacaspase; Nanosecond; Yeast