  We present experimental results regarding the electrotransfer of plasmid DNA
into phosphatidylcholine giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Our observations
indicate that a direct entry is the predominant mechanism of electrotransfer. A
quantitative analysis of the DNA concentration increments inside the GUVs is
also performed, and we find that our experimental data are very well described
by a simple theoretical model in which DNA entry is mostly driven by
electrophoresis. Our theoretical framework allows for the prediction of the
amount of transfered DNA as a function of the electric field parameters, and
thus paves the way towards a novel method for encapsulating with high
efficiency not only DNA, but any negatively charged macromolecule into GUVs.
