High-Intensity Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field effects on Early Physiological Development in Arabidopsis thaliana

The influences of pulsed electric fields on early physiological development in Arabidopsis thaliana were studied. Inside a 4-mm electroporation cuvette, pre-germination seeds were subjected to high-intensity, nanosecond electrical pulses generated using laboratory-assembled pulsed electric field system. The field strength was varied from 5 to 20 kV.cm-1 and the pulse width and the pulse number were maintained at 10 ns and 100, respectively, corresponding to the specific treatment energy from 300 J.kg-1 to 4.5 kJ.kg-1. Statistical analyses on the average leaf area 5 and 15 days following pulsed electric field treatment showed that the effects appear significant the second week after treatments with a maximum increase of 80% compared to the control (P < 0.01).

Authors:

• Wisuwat Songnuan
• Phumin Kirawanich

Keywords:

• Arabidopsis thaliana
• full-wave analysis
• leaf area
• high-intensity nanosecond pulsed electric fields

References:

[1] E. Neumann, A. E. Sowers, and C. A. Jordan, Electroporation and
Electrofusion in Cell Biology. New York: Plenum, 1989.
[2] U. Zimmermann, "Electrical breakdown, electropermeabilization and
electrofusion," Rev. Physiol. Biochem. Pharmacol, vol. 105, pp. 175-
256, 1986.
[3] J. C. Weaver, "Electroporation of cells and tissues," in The Biomedical
Engineering Handbook, 2nd ed, J. D. Bronzino, Ed. Boca Raton, FL:
CRC-IEEE, 2000, ch. 94.
[4] M. P. Rols and J. Teissié, "Electropermeabilization of mammalian cells
to macromolecules: Control by pulse duration," Biophysical J., vol. 75,
pp. 1415-1432, 1998.
[5] L. M. Mir, L. F. Glass, G. Sersa, J. Teissié, C. Domenge, D. Miklavcic,
M. J. Jaroszeski, S. Orlowaska, D. S. Reintgen, Z. Rudolfs, M.
Belehradek, R. Gilbert, M. P. Rols, J. Belehradek jr., J. M. Bachaud, R.
Deconti, B. Stabuc, M. Cemazar, P. Coninx, and R. Heller, "Effective
treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous malignant tumors by
electrochemotherapy," British J. Cancer, vol. 77, pp. 2336- 2342, 1998.
[6] A. H. J. Sale and W. A. Hamilton, "Effects of high electric fields on
microorganisms I. Killing of bacteria and yeasts," Biochimica et
Biophysica Acta, vol. 148, pp. 781-788, 1967.
[7] C. Gusbeth, W. Frey, H. Volkmann, T. Schwartz, and H. Bluhm, "Pulsed
electric field treatment for bacteria reduction and its impact on hospital
wastewater," Chemosphere, vol. 75, pp. 228-233, 2009.
[8] G. V. Barbosa-Canovas, M. M. Gongora-Nieto, U. R. Pothakamury, and
B. G. Swanson, Preservation of foods with pulsed electric fields.
Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1999.
[9] L. Barsotti, E. Dumay, T. H. Mu, M. D. Fernandez-Diaz, and J. C.
Cheftel, "Effects of high voltage electric pulses on protein-based food
constituents and structures," Trends in Food Science and Technology,
vol. 12, pp. 136-144, 2002.
[10] K. H. Schoenbach, S. J. Beebe, and E. S. Buescher, "Intracellular effect
of ultrashort electrical pulses," J. Bioelectromagnetics, vol. 22, pp. 440-
448, 2001.
[11] S. J. Beebe, P. M. Fox, L. J. Rec, E. S. Buescher, and K. Somers,
"Nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) effects on cells and tissues:
Apoptosis induction and tumor growth inhibition," IEEE Trans. Plasma
Sci., vol. 30, pp. 286-292, 2002.
[12] C. Celestino, M. L. Picazo, and M. Toribio, "Influence of chronic
exposure to an electromagnetic field on germination and early growth of
Quercus suber seeds: Preliminary study," Electo Magnetobiol, vol. 19,
no. 1, pp. 115-120, 2000.
[13] A. Vashisth and S. Nagarajan, "Exposure of seeds to static magnetic
field enhances germination and early growth characteristics in chickpea
(Cicer arietinum L.)," Bioelectromagnetics, vol. 29, no. 7, pp. 571-578,
2008.
[14] A. M. Amyan and S. N. Ayrapetyan, "On the modulation effect of
pulsing and static magnetic fields and mechanical vibrations on barley
seed hydration," Physiol Chem Phys Med NMR, vol. 36, pp. 69-84,
2004.
[15] V. V. Azharonok, S. V. Goncharik, I. I. Filatova, A. S. Shik, and A. S.
Antonyuk, "The effect of the high frequency electromagnetic treatment
of the sowing material for legumes on their sowing quality and
productivity," Surface Engineering and Applied Electrochemistry, vol.
45, no. 4, pp. 318-328, 2009.
[16] S. Lynikiene, A. Pozeliene, and G. Rutkauskas, ÔÇ×Influence of corona
discharge field on seed viability and dynamics of germination," Int
Agrophys, vol. 20, pp. 195-200, 2006.
[17] H. Huang and S. Wang, "The effects of inverter magnetic fields on early
seed germination of mung beans," Bioelectromagnetics, vol. 29, no. 8,
pp. 649-657, 2008.
[18] P. Jinapang, P. Prakob, P. Wongwattananard, N. E. Islam, and P.
Kirawanich, "Growth characteristics of mung beans and water
convolvuluses exposed to 425-MHz electromagnetic fields,"
Bioelectromagnetics, vol. 31, pp. 519-527, 2010.
[19] L. S. Leutwiler, B. R. Hough-Evans, and E. M. Meyerowitz, "The DNA
of Arabidopsis thaliana," Mol Gen Genet, vol. 194, pp. 15-23, 1984.
[20] C. J. Eing, S. Bonnet, M. Pacher, H. Puchta, and W. Frey, "Effects of
nanosecond pulsed electric field exposure on Arabidopsis thaliana, "
IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, vol. 16, no.
5, pp. 1322-1328, 2009.
[21] T. Weiland, "On the numerical solution of Maxwell-s equations and
applications in the field of accelerator physics," Part Accel, vol. 15, no.
4, pp. 245-292, 1984.
[22] G. E. Welbaum and K. J. Bradford, "Water relations of seed
development and germination in Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.). V.
Water relations of imbibition and germination," Plant Physiol, vol. 92,
no. 4, pp. 1046-1052, 1990.