Spatiotemporal analysis of Escherichia coli membrane permeabilization and uptake kinetics induced by a single microbubble cavitation event.

ABSTRACT: A single cavitation microbubble can transiently disrupt the cellular membrane, providing a chemical-free, targeted drug delivery mechanism. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of membrane permeabilization in an Escherichia coli (E. coli) monolayer exposed to a single cavitation event. Using high-resolution fluorescence microscopy and propidium iodide (PI) uptake as a marker of membrane disruption, we tracked the response of 5565 individual cells around the center of the cavitation event over timescales from microseconds to minutes and spatial scales from 1 to 165 µm. PI uptake rates exhibited a strong spatial dependence, with cells closer to the cavitation center showing rapid and extensive permeabilization. A modified Goldman equation describing PI concentrations inside and o

SUBMITTER: Drab M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12663178 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature