Protein Electroporation of 3T3 Cells

Example 27

Fluorescein-conjugated albumin protein is delivered in high concentration to the interior of 3T3 cells with high efficiency using protein electroporation, according to the method of Koken et al., 1994.

Protein Electroporation

3T3 cells electroporated at 300V with a varying number of 5 ms pulses showed progressively increased protein uptake (see FIGS. 4A-4D). ˜200,000 3T3 cells were electroporated in a 4 mm cuvette in the presence of FITC-conjugated albumin (150 ug/200 ul). Visual inspection and photography using a fluorescent microscope revealed progressively increased FITC-albumin uptake and fluorescence over a wide range of pulse number (10-200 pulses). FIGS. 4A-4D depict the cells (at low power magnification, 10×) 48 hours after exposure to 20 pulse (FIG. 4A), 50 pulse (FIG. 4B), 100 pulse (FIG. 4C) and 200 pulse (FIG. 4D) electroporation, demonstrating protein uptake was a function of electroporation.