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Duan S, Wei X, Weng M, Zhao F, Chen P, Hong J, Xiang S, Shi Q, Sun L, Shen G, Wu J. Venus Flytrap-Inspired Data-Center-Free Fast-Responsive Soft Robots Enabled by 2D Ni 3(HITP) 2 MOF and Graphite. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2313089. [PMID: 38748777 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202313089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
The rapid and responsive capabilities of soft robots in perceiving, assessing, and reacting to environmental stimuli are highly valuable. However, many existing soft robots, designed to mimic humans and other higher animals, often rely on data centers for the modulation of mechanoelectrical transduction and electromechanical actuation. This reliance significantly increases system complexity and time delays. Herein, drawing inspiration from Venus flytraps, a soft robot employing a power modulation strategy is presented for active stimulus reaction, eliminating the need for a data center. This robot achieves mechanoelectrical transduction through Ni3(2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaiminotriphenylene)2 (Ni3(HITP)2) metal-organic framework (MOF) with an ultralow time delay (256 ns) and electromechanical actuation via graphite. The Joule heating effect in graphite is effectively modulated by Ni3(HITP)2 before and after the presence of pressure, thus enabling the stimulus reaction of soft robots. As demonstrated, three soft robots are created: low-level edge tongue robots, Venus flytrap robots, and high-level nerve-center-controlled dragonfly robots. This power modulation strategy inspires designs of edge soft robots and high-level robots with a human-like effective fusion of conditioned and unconditioned reflexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengshun Duan
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Xiao Wei
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Mingcen Weng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Products of Universities in Fujian, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou, 350118, China
| | - Fangzhi Zhao
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Pinzhen Chen
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Jianlong Hong
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Shengxin Xiang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Qiongfeng Shi
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Litao Sun
- Center for 2D Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
- SEU-FEI Nano-Pico Center, Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education Collaborative Innovation Center for Micro/Nano Fabrication Device and System, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Guozhen Shen
- School of Integrated Circuits and Electronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Information Display and Visualization School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
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Ganguly S, Margel S. Fabrication and Applications of Magnetic Polymer Composites for Soft Robotics. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:2173. [PMID: 38138344 PMCID: PMC10745923 DOI: 10.3390/mi14122173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of magnetic polymer composites has had a transformative impact on the field of soft robotics. This overview will examine the various methods by which innovative materials can be synthesized and utilized. The advancement of soft robotic systems has been significantly enhanced by the utilization of magnetic polymer composites, which amalgamate the pliability of polymers with the reactivity of magnetic materials. This study extensively examines the production methodologies involved in dispersing magnetic particles within polymer matrices and controlling their spatial distribution. The objective is to gain insights into the strategies required to attain the desired mechanical and magnetic properties. Additionally, this study delves into the potential applications of these composites in the field of soft robotics, encompassing various devices such as soft actuators, grippers, and wearable gadgets. The study emphasizes the transformative capabilities of magnetic polymer composites, which offer a novel framework for the advancement of biocompatible, versatile soft robotic systems that utilize magnetic actuation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayan Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Shlomo Margel
- Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
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Durak GM, Speck T, Poppinga S. Shapeshifting in the Venus flytrap ( Dionaea muscipula): Morphological and biomechanical adaptations and the potential costs of a failed hunting cycle. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:970320. [PMID: 36119615 PMCID: PMC9478607 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.970320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary roots of carnivory in the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) stem from a defense response to plant injury caused by, e.g., herbivores. Dionaea muscipula aka. Darwin's most wonderful plant underwent extensive modification of leaves into snap-traps specialized for prey capture. Even the tiny seedlings of the Venus flytrap already produce fully functional, millimeter-sized traps. The trap size increases as the plant matures, enabling capture of larger prey. The movement of snap-traps is very fast (~100-300 ms) and is actuated by a combination of changes in the hydrostatic pressure of the leaf tissue with the release of prestress (embedded energy), triggering a snap-through of the trap lobes. This instability phenomenon is facilitated by the double curvature of the trap lobes. In contrast, trap reopening is a slower process dependent on trap size and morphology, heavily reliant on turgor and/or cell growth. Once a prey item is caught, the trap reconfigures its shape, seals itself off and forms a digestive cavity allowing the plant to release an enzymatic cocktail to draw nutrition from its captive. Interestingly, a failed attempt to capture prey can come at a heavy cost: the trap can break during reopening, thus losing its functionality. In this mini-review, we provide a detailed account of morphological adaptations and biomechanical processes involved in the trap movement during D. muscipula hunting cycle, and discuss possible reasons for and consequences of trap breakage. We also provide a brief introduction to the biological aspects underlying plant motion and their evolutionary background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grażyna M. Durak
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanical Garden, Department of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Speck
- Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanical Garden, Department of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT, Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Simon Poppinga
- Botanical Garden, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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Biological computation: hearts and flytraps. J Biol Phys 2022; 48:55-78. [PMID: 35089468 PMCID: PMC8866585 DOI: 10.1007/s10867-021-09590-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The original computers were people using algorithms to get mathematical results such as rocket trajectories. After the invention of the digital computer, brains have been widely understood through analogies with computers and now artificial neural networks, which have strengths and drawbacks. We define and examine a new kind of computation better adapted to biological systems, called biological computation, a natural adaptation of mechanistic physical computation. Nervous systems are of course biological computers, and we focus on some edge cases of biological computing, hearts and flytraps. The heart has about the computing power of a slug, and much of its computing happens outside of its forty thousand neurons. The flytrap has about the computing power of a lobster ganglion. This account advances fundamental debates in neuroscience by illustrating ways that classical computability theory can miss complexities of biology. By this reframing of computation, we make way for resolving the disconnect between human and machine learning.
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Saikia E, Läubli NF, Vogler H, Rüggeberg M, Herrmann HJ, Burgert I, Burri JT, Nelson BJ, Grossniklaus U, Wittel FK. Mechanical factors contributing to the Venus flytrap's rate-dependent response to stimuli. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2021; 20:2287-2297. [PMID: 34431032 PMCID: PMC8595191 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-021-01507-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The sensory hairs of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) detect mechanical stimuli imparted by their prey and fire bursts of electrical signals called action potentials (APs). APs are elicited when the hairs are sufficiently stimulated and two consecutive APs can trigger closure of the trap. Earlier experiments have identified thresholds for the relevant stimulus parameters, namely the angular displacement [Formula: see text] and angular velocity [Formula: see text]. However, these experiments could not trace the deformation of the trigger hair's sensory cells, which are known to transduce the mechanical stimulus. To understand the kinematics at the cellular level, we investigate the role of two relevant mechanical phenomena: viscoelasticity and intercellular fluid transport using a multi-scale numerical model of the sensory hair. We hypothesize that the combined influence of these two phenomena and [Formula: see text] contribute to the flytrap's rate-dependent response to stimuli. In this study, we firstly perform sustained deflection tests on the hair to estimate the viscoelastic material properties of the tissue. Thereafter, through simulations of hair deflection tests at different loading rates, we were able to establish a multi-scale kinematic link between [Formula: see text] and the cell wall stretch [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, we find that the rate at which [Formula: see text] evolves during a stimulus is also proportional to [Formula: see text]. This suggests that mechanosensitive ion channels, expected to be stretch-activated and localized in the plasma membrane of the sensory cells, could be additionally sensitive to the rate at which stretch is applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eashan Saikia
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093 Switzerland
| | - Nino F. Läubli
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092 Switzerland
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0AS United Kingdom
| | - Hannes Vogler
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8008 Switzerland
| | | | - Hans J. Herrmann
- Laboratoire de Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, École Supérieur de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ingo Burgert
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093 Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology-EMPA, Cellulose and Wood Materials Laboratory, 8600 Dubendorf, Switzerland
| | - Jan T. Burri
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092 Switzerland
| | - Bradley J. Nelson
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092 Switzerland
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8008 Switzerland
| | - Falk K. Wittel
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093 Switzerland
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Volkov AG, Chua L. Cyclic voltammetry of volatile memristors in the Venus flytrap: short-term memory. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2021; 48:567-572. [PMID: 33423737 DOI: 10.1071/fp20379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plants have sensory, short-term and long-term memory. Possible candidates for memory in plants are memristors; resistors with memory. Memristors have been found in seeds, plants, flowers and fruits. The electrostimulation of plants by bipolar periodic waves can induce electrical responses with fingerprints of volatile or non-volatile memristors. Here, we show that the electrostimulation of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) by unipolar sinusoidal or triangular periodic electrical trains induces electrical responses in plants with fingerprints of volatile memristors. The discovery of volatile generic memristors in plants opens new directions in the modelling and understanding of electrical phenomena in the plant kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL 35896, USA; and Corresponding author.
| | - Leon Chua
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Kinematics Governing Mechanotransduction in the Sensory Hair of the Venus flytrap. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010280. [PMID: 33396579 PMCID: PMC7795956 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects fall prey to the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) when they touch the sensory hairs located on the flytrap lobes, causing sudden trap closure. The mechanical stimulus imparted by the touch produces an electrical response in the sensory cells of the trigger hair. These cells are found in a constriction near the hair base, where a notch appears around the hair’s periphery. There are mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs) in the sensory cells that open due to a change in membrane tension; however, the kinematics behind this process is unclear. In this study, we investigate how the stimulus acts on the sensory cells by building a multi-scale hair model, using morphometric data obtained from μ-CT scans. We simulated a single-touch stimulus and evaluated the resulting cell wall stretch. Interestingly, the model showed that high stretch values are diverted away from the notch periphery and, instead, localized in the interior regions of the cell wall. We repeated our simulations for different cell shape variants to elucidate how the morphology influences the location of these high-stretch regions. Our results suggest that there is likely a higher mechanotransduction activity in these ’hotspots’, which may provide new insights into the arrangement and functioning of MSCs in the flytrap. Dataset: 10.3929/ethz-b-000448954
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A single touch can provide sufficient mechanical stimulation to trigger Venus flytrap closure. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000740. [PMID: 32649659 PMCID: PMC7351144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The carnivorous Venus flytrap catches prey by an ingenious snapping mechanism. Based on work over nearly 200 years, it has become generally accepted that two touches of the trap’s sensory hairs within 30 s, each one generating an action potential, are required to trigger closure of the trap. We developed an electromechanical model, which, however, suggests that under certain circumstances one touch is sufficient to generate two action potentials. Using a force-sensing microrobotic system, we precisely quantified the sensory-hair deflection parameters necessary to trigger trap closure and correlated them with the elicited action potentials in vivo. Our results confirm the model’s predictions, suggesting that the Venus flytrap may be adapted to a wider range of prey movements than previously assumed. It is generally accepted that two touches of the Venus flytrap’s sensory hairs within 30 seconds are required to trigger closure of the trap. Here, however, quantification of the plant’s sensory hair deflection parameters reveals that one stimulus is sufficient.
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Shi W, Huang J, Fang R, Liu M. Imparting Functionality to the Hydrogel by Magnetic-Field-Induced Nano-assembly and Macro-response. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:5177-5194. [PMID: 31916743 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b16770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels are composed of 3D hydrophilic networks with an abundance of water; they are analogous to biological soft tissues. Their unique physico-chemical properties endow hydrogels with great potential in many fields, including tissue engineering and flexible sensing. However, inadequate functionality, such as lack of rapid responsiveness, severely limits practical applications in many areas. Therefore, imparting functionality to the hydrogel is a hot research topic. The magnetic field, as an important physical field, provides a new strategy with a variety of advantages. Magnetic-field-induced ordered nano-assembly brought anisotropic properties and novel performance. Furthermore, the magnetic responsiveness of hydrogels with magnetic nanoparticles can lead to the generation of functionality under magnetic fields. Thus, we aim to systematically describe the significant effect of magnetic fields on the functionality of the hydrogel. In this review, magnetic-field-induced assembly of nanomaterials with different dimensions and resulting functional performance are introduced. The functionalities of hydrogels based on magnetic-field-induced macroscopic responses are also summarized. We believe this review will motivate more exploration of the application of magnetic fields to develop functional hydrogel materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry , Beihang University , Beijing 100191 , P. R. China
| | - Jin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry , Beihang University , Beijing 100191 , P. R. China
| | - Ruochen Fang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry , Beihang University , Beijing 100191 , P. R. China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering , Beihang University , Beijing 100191 , P. R. China
| | - Mingjie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry , Beihang University , Beijing 100191 , P. R. China
- International Research Institute for Multidisciplinary Science , Beihang University , Beijing 100191 , P. R. China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering , Beihang University , Beijing 100191 , P. R. China
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Pavlovič A, Libiaková M, Bokor B, Jakšová J, Petřík I, Novák O, Baluška F. Anaesthesia with diethyl ether impairs jasmonate signalling in the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 125:173-183. [PMID: 31677265 PMCID: PMC6948209 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS General anaesthetics are compounds that induce loss of responsiveness to environmental stimuli in animals and humans. The primary site of action of general anaesthetics is the nervous system, where anaesthetics inhibit neuronal transmission. Although plants do not have neurons, they generate electrical signals in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we investigated the effect of the general volatile anaesthetic diethyl ether on the ability to sense potential prey or herbivore attacks in the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). METHODS We monitored trap movement, electrical signalling, phytohormone accumulation and gene expression in response to the mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs and wounding under diethyl ether treatment. KEY RESULTS Diethyl ether completely inhibited the generation of action potentials and trap closing reactions, which were easily and rapidly restored when the anaesthetic was removed. Diethyl ether also inhibited the later response: jasmonic acid (JA) accumulation and expression of JA-responsive genes (cysteine protease dionain and type I chitinase). However, external application of JA bypassed the inhibited action potentials and restored gene expression under diethyl ether anaesthesia, indicating that downstream reactions from JA are not inhibited. CONCLUSIONS The Venus flytrap cannot sense prey or a herbivore attack under diethyl ether treatment caused by inhibited action potentials, and the JA signalling pathway as a consequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Pavlovič
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Libiaková
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Boris Bokor
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Comenius University Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Jakšová
- Department of Biophysics, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Petřík
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Novák
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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11
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Volkov AG. Signaling in electrical networks of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis). Bioelectrochemistry 2019; 125:25-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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12
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Farhan M, Rudolph T, Nöchel U, Yan W, Kratz K, Lendlein A. Noncontinuously Responding Polymeric Actuators. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:33559-33564. [PMID: 28920427 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b11316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Reversible movements of current polymeric actuators stem from the continuous response to signals from a controlling unit, and subsequently cannot be interrupted without stopping or eliminating the input trigger. Here, we present actuators based on cross-linked blends of two crystallizable polymers capable of pausing their movements in a defined manner upon continuous cyclic heating and cooling. This noncontinuous actuation can be adjusted by varying the applied heating and cooling rates. The feasibility of these devices for technological applications was shown in a 140 cycle experiment of free-standing noncontinuous shape shifts, as well as by various demonstrators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Farhan
- Institute of Biomaterial Science, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht , Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Potsdam , Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Tobias Rudolph
- Institute of Biomaterial Science, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht , Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany
| | - Ulrich Nöchel
- Institute of Biomaterial Science, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht , Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany
| | - Wan Yan
- Institute of Biomaterial Science, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht , Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Potsdam , Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Karl Kratz
- Institute of Biomaterial Science, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht , Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany
| | - Andreas Lendlein
- Institute of Biomaterial Science, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht , Kantstr. 55, 14513 Teltow, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Potsdam , Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
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Shigeno M, Kushida Y, Yamaguchi M. Reversible Nonequilibrium-to-Equilibrium Chemical Reaction and Molecular Switching Function of Sulfonamidohelicene Oligomer. J SYN ORG CHEM JPN 2017. [DOI: 10.5059/yukigoseikyokaishi.75.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Masahiko Yamaguchi
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University
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14
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Shigeno M, Kushida Y, Yamaguchi M. Molecular switching involving metastable states: molecular thermal hysteresis and sensing of environmental changes by chiral helicene oligomeric foldamers. Chem Commun (Camb) 2016; 52:4955-70. [PMID: 26974494 DOI: 10.1039/c5cc10379g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Molecular switching is a phenomenon in which the molecular structure reversibly changes in response to external stimulation. It is crucial in biology and is used in various biological sensing applications and responses. In contrast to the well-studied molecular switching involving two or more thermodynamically stable states, switching involving metastable states exhibits notable non-equilibrium thermodynamic properties. Synthetic chiral helicene oligomeric foldamers that exhibit molecular thermal hysteresis in dilute solution are examples. Molecular switching can be used for sensing environmental changes, including temperature threshold, temperature decrease/increase, rate of temperature decrease, counting the numbers 1 and 2, and concentration increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Shigeno
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Yo Kushida
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Yamaguchi
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
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15
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Shigeno M. Nonequilibrium Molecular Switching of Chiral Helicene Oligomers in Double-Helix Formation. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2016; 136:1591-1600. [PMID: 27904093 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.16-00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Molecular switching is the phenomenon in which a molecular structural change occurs reversibly in response to an external stimulus or energy. It plays an important role in biology, in which it is used for sensing environmental changes. In contrast to well-studied equilibrium molecular switching involving thermodynamically stable states, nonequilibrium molecular switching involving a metastable state is a notable chemical phenomenon and is the theme of this study. Sulfonamido- and aminomethylenehelicene oligomers show a reversible structural change from a double helix to a random coil in dilute solution. A metastable state consisting of random coils can be generated by heating, which shows various nonequilibrium thermodynamic properties. Molecular phenomena including molecular thermal hysteresis, molecular memory effect, and one-directional three-state molecular structural change occur, none of which is observed in an equilibrium molecular switching system. They can be applied to sensing environmental changes such as temperature increases/decreases, temperature change rates, and concentration increases, and for counting the numbers 1 and 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Shigeno
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University
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Cyclic voltammetry of apple fruits: Memristors in vivo. Bioelectrochemistry 2016; 112:9-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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17
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Yamaguchi M, Arisawa M, Shigeno M, Saito N. Equilibrum and Nonequilibrium Chemical Reactions of Helicene Oligomers in the Noncovalent Bond Formation. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2016. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20160133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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18
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Volkov AG, Nyasani EK, Tuckett C, Scott JM, Jackson MMZ, Greeman EA, Greenidge AS, Cohen DO, Volkova MI, Shtessel YB. Electrotonic potentials in Aloe vera L.: Effects of intercellular and external electrodes arrangement. Bioelectrochemistry 2016; 113:60-68. [PMID: 27756010 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Electrostimulation of plants can induce plant movements, activation of ion channels, ion transport, gene expression, enzymatic systems activation, electrical signaling, plant-cell damage, enhanced wound healing, and influence plant growth. Here we found that electrical networks in plant tissues have electrical differentiators. The amplitude of electrical responses decreases along a leaf and increases by decreasing the distance between polarizing Pt-electrodes. Intercellular Ag/AgCl electrodes inserted in a leaf and extracellular Ag/AgCl electrodes attached to the leaf surface were used to detect the electrotonic potential propagation along a leaf of Aloe vera. There is a difference in duration and amplitude of electrical potentials measured by electrodes inserted in a leaf and those attached to a leaf's surface. If the external reference electrode is located in the soil near the root, it changes the amplitude and duration of electrotonic potentials due to existence of additional resistance, capacitance, ion channels and ion pumps in the root. The information gained from this study can be used to elucidate extracellular and intercellular communication in the form of electrical signals within plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA.
| | - Eunice K Nyasani
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA
| | - Clayton Tuckett
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA
| | - Jessenia M Scott
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA
| | - Mariah M Z Jackson
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA
| | - Esther A Greeman
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA
| | - Ariane S Greenidge
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA
| | - Devin O Cohen
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA
| | - Maia I Volkova
- Department of Chemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA
| | - Yuri B Shtessel
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA
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G. Volkov A, B. Shtessel Y. Propagation of electrotonic potentials in plants: Experimental study and mathematical modeling. AIMS BIOPHYSICS 2016. [DOI: 10.3934/biophy.2016.3.358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Bamel K, Gupta R, Gupta SC. Nicotine promotes rooting in leaf explants of in vitro raised seedlings of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Miller var. Pusa Ruby. Int Immunopharmacol 2015; 29:231-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Revised: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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21
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Guo Q, Dai E, Han X, Xie S, Chao E, Chen Z. Fast nastic motion of plants and bioinspired structures. J R Soc Interface 2015; 12:0598. [PMID: 26354828 PMCID: PMC4614472 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The capability to sense and respond to external mechanical stimuli at various timescales is essential to many physiological aspects in plants, including self-protection, intake of nutrients and reproduction. Remarkably, some plants have evolved the ability to react to mechanical stimuli within a few seconds despite a lack of muscles and nerves. The fast movements of plants in response to mechanical stimuli have long captured the curiosity of scientists and engineers, but the mechanisms behind these rapid thigmonastic movements are still not understood completely. In this article, we provide an overview of such thigmonastic movements in several representative plants, including Dionaea, Utricularia, Aldrovanda, Drosera and Mimosa. In addition, we review a series of studies that present biomimetic structures inspired by fast-moving plants. We hope that this article will shed light on the current status of research on the fast movements of plants and bioinspired structures and also promote interdisciplinary studies on both the fundamental mechanisms of plants' fast movements and biomimetic structures for engineering applications, such as artificial muscles, multi-stable structures and bioinspired robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Q Guo
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350108, China Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Processing and Application, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - E Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - X Han
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - S Xie
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - E Chao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Z Chen
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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Volkov AG, Nyasani EK, Blockmon AL, Volkova MI. Memristors: Memory elements in potato tubers. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2015; 10:e1071750. [PMID: 26237427 PMCID: PMC4883904 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2015.1071750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 07/05/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A memristor is a nonlinear element because its current-voltage characteristic is similar to that of a Lissajous pattern for nonlinear systems. This element was postulated recently and researchers are looking for it in different biosystems. We investigated electrical circuitry of red Irish potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.). The goal was to discover if potato tubers might have a new electrical component - a resistor with memory. The analysis was based on a cyclic current-voltage characteristic where the resistor with memory should manifest itself. We found that the electrostimulation by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induces electrical responses in the potato tubers with fingerprints of memristors. Tetraethylammonium chloride, an inhibitor of voltage gated K(+) channels, transforms a memristor to a resistor in potato tubers. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K(+) channel in the excitable tissue of potato tubers has properties of a memristor. Uncoupler carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone decreases the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar periodic sinusoidal or triangle electrostimulating waves. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the understanding of electrical phenomena in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maya I Volkova
- Department of Chemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
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Abundance of cysteine endopeptidase dionain in digestive fluid of Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) is regulated by different stimuli from prey through jasmonates. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104424. [PMID: 25153528 PMCID: PMC4143254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The trap of the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) catches prey by very rapid closure of its modified leaves. After the rapid closure secures the prey, repeated mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs by struggling prey and the generation of action potentials (APs) result in secretion of digestive fluid. Once the prey's movement stops, the secretion is maintained by chemical stimuli released from digested prey. We investigated the effect of mechanical and chemical stimulation (NH4Cl, KH2PO4, further N(Cl) and P(K) stimulation) on enzyme activities in digestive fluid. Activities of β-D-glucosidases and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidases were not detected. Acid phosphatase activity was higher in N(Cl) stimulated traps while proteolytic activity was higher in both chemically induced traps in comparison to mechanical stimulation. This is in accordance with higher abundance of recently described enzyme cysteine endopeptidase dionain in digestive fluid of chemically induced traps. Mechanical stimulation induced high levels of cis-12-oxophytodienoic acid (cis-OPDA) but jasmonic acid (JA) and its isoleucine conjugate (JA-Ile) accumulated to higher level after chemical stimulation. The concentration of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) did not change significantly. The external application of JA bypassed the mechanical and chemical stimulation and induced a high abundance of dionain and proteolytic activity in digestive fluid. These results document the role of jasmonates in regulation of proteolytic activity in response to different stimuli from captured prey. The double trigger mechanism in protein digestion is proposed.
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Shigeno M, Kushida Y, Kobayashi Y, Yamaguchi M. Molecular Function of Counting the Numbers 1 and 2 Exhibited by a Sulfoneamidohelicene Tetramer. Chemistry 2014; 20:12759-62. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201403358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Volkov AG, Forde-Tuckett V, Volkova MI, Markin VS. Morphing structures of the Dionaea muscipula Ellis during the trap opening and closing. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2014; 9:e27793. [PMID: 24618927 PMCID: PMC4091236 DOI: 10.4161/psb.27793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The Venus flytrap is a marvelous plant that has intrigued scientists since the times of Charles Darwin. This carnivorous plant is capable of very fast movements to catch a prey. We found that the maximal speed of the trap closing in the Dionaea muscipula Ellis is about 130,000 times faster than the maximal speed of the trap opening. The mechanism and kinetics of this movement was debated for a long time. Here, the most recent Hydroelastic Curvature Model is applied to the analysis of this movement during closing and opening of the trap with or without a prey. Equations describing the trap movement were derived and verified with experimental data. Chloroform and ether, both anesthetic agents, induce action potentials and close the trap without the mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs. We tested this by dropping 10 μL of ether on the midrib inside the trap without touching any of the mechanosensitive trigger hairs. The trap closed slowly in 10 s. This is at least 20 times slower than the closing of the trap mechanically or electrically. The similar effect can be induced by placing 10 μL of chloroform on the midrib inside the trap, however, the lobes closing time in this case is as fast as closing after mechanical stimulation of the trigger hairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | | | - Maya I Volkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Vladislav S Markin
- Department of Neurology; University of Texas; Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX USA
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26
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Volkov AG, Forde-Tuckett V, Reedus J, Mitchell CM, Volkova MI, Markin VS, Chua L. Memristors in the Venus flytrap. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2014; 9:e29204. [PMID: 25763613 PMCID: PMC4203580 DOI: 10.4161/psb.29204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
A memristor is a nonlinear element because its current-voltage characteristic is similar to that of a Lissajous pattern for nonlinear systems. We investigated the possible presence of memristors in the electrical circuitry of the Venus flytrap's upper and lower leaves. The electrostimulation of this plant by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induces electrical responses in the upper and lower leaves of the Venus flytrap with fingerprints of memristors. The analysis was based on cyclic voltammetric characteristics where the memristor, a resistor with memory, should manifest itself. Tetraethylammonium chloride, an inhibitor of voltage gated K(+) channels, or NPPB, a blocker of voltage gated Cl(-) and K(+) channels, transform a memristor to a resistor in plant tissue. Uncouplers carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone (FCCP) decrease the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar periodic electrostimulating waves. Our results demonstrate that voltage gated K(+) channels in the Venus flytrap have properties of memristors of type 1 and type 2. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the modeling and understanding of electrical phenomena in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
- Correspondence to: Alexander G Volkov,
| | | | - Jada Reedus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Colee M Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Maya I Volkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Vladislav S. Markin
- Department of Neurology; University of Texas; Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX USA
| | - Leon Chua
- Department of EECS; University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA USA
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27
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Volkov AG, Tucket C, Reedus J, Volkova MI, Markin VS, Chua L. Memristors in plants. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2014; 9:e28152. [PMID: 24556876 PMCID: PMC4091481 DOI: 10.4161/psb.28152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We investigated electrical circuitry of the Venus flytrap, Mimosa pudica and Aloe vera. The goal was to discover if these plants might have a new electrical component--a resistor with memory. This element was postulated recently and the researchers were looking for its presence in different systems. The analysis was based on cyclic current-voltage characteristic where the resistor with memory should manifest itself. We found that the electrostimulation of plants by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induces electrical responses in the Venus flytrap, Mimosa pudica and Aloe vera with fingerprints of memristors. Tetraethylammonium chloride, an inhibitor of voltage gated K(+) channels, transforms a memristor to a resistor in plant tissue. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K(+) channel in the excitable tissue of plants has properties of a memristor. This study can be a starting point for understanding mechanisms of memory, learning, circadian rhythms, and biological clocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
- Correspondence to: Alexander G Volkov,
| | - Clayton Tucket
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Jada Reedus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Maya I Volkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Vladislav S Markin
- Department of Neurology; University of Texas; Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX USA
| | - Leon Chua
- Department of EECS; University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA USA
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28
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Volkov AG, Reedus J, Mitchell CM, Tucket C, Forde-Tuckett V, Volkova MI, Markin VS, Chua L. Memristors in the electrical network of Aloe vera L. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2014; 9:e29056. [PMID: 25763487 PMCID: PMC4091316 DOI: 10.4161/psb.29056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
A memristor is a resistor with memory, which is a non-linear passive two-terminal electrical element relating magnetic flux linkage and electrical charge. Here we found that memristors exist in vivo. The electrostimulation of the Aloe vera by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induce electrical responses with fingerprints of memristors. Uncouplers carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone and carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone decrease the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar periodic sinusoidal or triangle electrostimulating waves. Memristive behavior of an electrical network in the Aloe vera is linked to the properties of voltage gated ion channels: the K(+) channel blocker TEACl reduces the electric response to a conventional resistor. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K(+) channel in the excitable tissue of plants has properties of a memristor. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the modeling and understanding of electrical phenomena in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
- Correspondence to: Alexander G Volkov,
| | - Jada Reedus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Colee M Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Clayton Tucket
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | | | - Maya I Volkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Vladislav S Markin
- Department of Neurology; University of Texas; Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX USA
| | - Leon Chua
- Department of EECS; University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley CA USA
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29
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Volkov AG, Reedus J, Mitchell CM, Tuckett C, Volkova MI, Markin VS, Chua L. Memory elements in the electrical network of Mimosa pudica L. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2014; 9:e982029. [PMID: 25482796 PMCID: PMC4623388 DOI: 10.4161/15592324.2014.982029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2014] [Revised: 07/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The fourth basic circuit element, a memristor, is a resistor with memory that was postulated by Chua in 1971. Here we found that memristors exist in vivo. The electrostimulation of the Mimosa pudica by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induce electrical responses with fingerprints of memristors. Uncouplers carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone and carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone decrease the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic electrostimulating waves. Memristive behavior of an electrical network in the Mimosa pudica is linked to the properties of voltage gated ion channels: the channel blocker TEACl reduces the electric response to a conventional resistor. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K(+) channel in the excitable tissue of plants has properties of a memristor. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the modeling and understanding of electrical phenomena in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
- Correspondence to: Alexander G Volkov;
| | - Jada Reedus
- Department of Neurology; University of Texas; Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX USA
| | - Colee M Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Clayton Tuckett
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Maya I Volkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Vladislav S Markin
- Department of Neurology; University of Texas; Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX USA
| | - Leon Chua
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences; University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA USA
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30
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Behie SW, Bidochka MJ. Insects as a Nitrogen Source for Plants. INSECTS 2013; 4:413-24. [PMID: 26462427 PMCID: PMC4553473 DOI: 10.3390/insects4030413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Many plants have evolved adaptations in order to survive in low nitrogen environments. One of the best-known adaptations is that of plant symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria; this is the major route by which nitrogen is incorporated into plant biomass. A portion of this plant-associated nitrogen is then lost to insects through herbivory, and insects represent a nitrogen reservoir that is generally overlooked in nitrogen cycles. In this review we show three specialized plant adaptations that allow for the recovery of insect nitrogen; that is, plants gaining nitrogen from insects. First, we show specialized adaptations by carnivorous plants in low nitrogen habitats. Insect carnivorous plants such as pitcher plants and sundews (Nepenthaceae/Sarraceniaceae and Drosera respectively) are able to obtain substantial amounts of nitrogen from the insects that they capture. Secondly, numerous plants form associations with mycorrhizal fungi that can provide soluble nitrogen from the soil, some of which may be insect-derived nitrogen, obtained from decaying insects or insect frass. Finally, a specialized group of endophytic, insect-pathogenic fungi (EIPF) provide host plants with insect-derived nitrogen. These soil-inhabiting fungi form a remarkable symbiosis with certain plant species. They can infect a wide range of insect hosts and also form endophytic associations in which they transfer insect-derived nitrogen to the plant. Root colonizing fungi are found in disparate fungal phylogenetic lineages, indicating possible convergent evolutionary strategies between taxa, evolution potentially driven by access to carbon-containing root exudates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott W Behie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Michael J Bidochka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada.
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Volkov AG, Vilfranc CL, Murphy VA, Mitchell CM, Volkova MI, O'Neal L, Markin VS. Electrotonic and action potentials in the Venus flytrap. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 170:838-46. [PMID: 23422156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2013.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2012] [Revised: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The electrical phenomena and morphing structures in the Venus flytrap have attracted researchers since the nineteenth century. We have observed that mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs on the lobes of the Venus flytrap induces electrotonic potentials in the lower leaf. Electrostimulation of electrical circuits in the Venus flytrap can induce electrotonic potentials propagating along the upper and lower leaves. The instantaneous increase or decrease in voltage of stimulating potential generates a nonlinear electrical response in plant tissues. Any electrostimulation that is not instantaneous, such as sinusoidal or triangular functions, results in linear responses in the form of small electrotonic potentials. The amplitude and sign of electrotonic potentials depend on the polarity and the amplitude of the applied voltage. Electrical stimulation of the lower leaf induces electrical signals, which resemble action potentials, in the trap between the lobes and the midrib. The trap closes if the stimulating voltage is above the threshold level of 4.4V. Electrical responses in the Venus flytrap were analyzed and reproduced in the discrete electrical circuit. The information gained from this study can be used to elucidate the coupling of intracellular and intercellular communications in the form of electrical signals within plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL 35896, USA.
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Baluška F, Mancuso S. Ion channels in plants: from bioelectricity, via signaling, to behavioral actions. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2013; 8:e23009. [PMID: 23221742 PMCID: PMC3745586 DOI: 10.4161/psb.23009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In his recent opus magnum review paper published in the October issue of Physiology Reviews, Rainer Hedrich summarized the field of plant ion channels. (1) He started from the earliest electric recordings initiated by Charles Darwin of carnivorous Dionaea muscipula, (1,2) known as Venus flytrap, and covered the topic extensively up to the most recent discoveries on Shaker-type potassium channels, anion channels of SLAC/SLAH families, and ligand-activated channels of glutamate receptor-like type (GLR) and cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGC). (1.)
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Affiliation(s)
- František Baluška
- University of Bonn; IZMB; Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence to: František Baluška,
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33
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Volkov AG, Harris SL, Vilfranc CL, Murphy VA, Wooten JD, Paulicin H, Volkova MI, Markin VS. Venus flytrap biomechanics: forces in the Dionaea muscipula trap. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 170:25-32. [PMID: 22959673 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2012.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2012] [Revised: 08/13/2012] [Accepted: 08/13/2012] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Biomechanics of morphing structures in the Venus flytrap has attracted the attention of scientists during the last 140 years. The trap closes in a tenth of a second if a prey touches a trigger hair twice. The driving force of the closing process is most likely due to the elastic curvature energy stored and locked in the leaves, which is caused by a pressure differential between the upper and lower layers of the leaf. The trap strikes, holds and compresses the prey. We have developed new methods for measuring all these forces involved in the hunting cycle. We made precise calibration of the piezoelectric sensor and performed direct measurements of the average impact force of the trap closing using a high speed video camera for the determination of time constants. The new equation for the average impact force was derived. The impact average force between rims of two lobes in the Venus flytrap was found equal to 149 mN and the corresponding pressure between the rims was about 41 kPa. Direct measurements of the constriction force in the trap of Dionaea muscipula was performed during gelatin digestion. This force increases in the process of digestion from zero to 450 mN with maximal constriction pressure created by the lobes reaching to 9 kPa. The insects and different small prey have little chance to escape after the snap of the trap. The prey would need to overpower the "escaping" force which is very strong and can reach up to 4N.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL 35896, USA.
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Schulze WX, Sanggaard KW, Kreuzer I, Knudsen AD, Bemm F, Thøgersen IB, Bräutigam A, Thomsen LR, Schliesky S, Dyrlund TF, Escalante-Perez M, Becker D, Schultz J, Karring H, Weber A, Højrup P, Hedrich R, Enghild JJ. The protein composition of the digestive fluid from the venus flytrap sheds light on prey digestion mechanisms. Mol Cell Proteomics 2012; 11:1306-19. [PMID: 22891002 PMCID: PMC3494193 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m112.021006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2012] [Revised: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is one of the most well-known carnivorous plants because of its unique ability to capture small animals, usually insects or spiders, through a unique snap-trapping mechanism. The animals are subsequently killed and digested so that the plants can assimilate nutrients, as they grow in mineral-deficient soils. We deep sequenced the cDNA from Dionaea traps to obtain transcript libraries, which were used in the mass spectrometry-based identification of the proteins secreted during digestion. The identified proteins consisted of peroxidases, nucleases, phosphatases, phospholipases, a glucanase, chitinases, and proteolytic enzymes, including four cysteine proteases, two aspartic proteases, and a serine carboxypeptidase. The majority of the most abundant proteins were categorized as pathogenesis-related proteins, suggesting that the plant's digestive system evolved from defense-related processes. This in-depth characterization of a highly specialized secreted fluid from a carnivorous plant provides new information about the plant's prey digestion mechanism and the evolutionary processes driving its defense pathways and nutrient acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waltraud X. Schulze
- From the ‡Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kristian W. Sanggaard
- §Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wiedsvej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Ines Kreuzer
- ¶Department of Molecular Plant Physiology & Biophysics, Universität Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anders D. Knudsen
- §Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wiedsvej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Felix Bemm
- ‖Department of Bioinformatics, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Ida B. Thøgersen
- §Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wiedsvej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Andrea Bräutigam
- ‡‡Department of Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Line R. Thomsen
- §Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wiedsvej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Simon Schliesky
- ‡‡Department of Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas F. Dyrlund
- §Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wiedsvej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Maria Escalante-Perez
- ¶Department of Molecular Plant Physiology & Biophysics, Universität Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Becker
- ¶Department of Molecular Plant Physiology & Biophysics, Universität Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Schultz
- ‖Department of Bioinformatics, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Henrik Karring
- §§University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Environmental Technology, Niels Bohrs Allé 1, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Andreas Weber
- ‡‡Department of Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Peter Højrup
- ¶¶Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- ¶Department of Molecular Plant Physiology & Biophysics, Universität Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
- ‖‖Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jan J. Enghild
- §Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wiedsvej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Król E, Płachno BJ, Adamec L, Stolarz M, Dziubińska H, Trebacz K. Quite a few reasons for calling carnivores 'the most wonderful plants in the world'. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2012; 109:47-64. [PMID: 21937485 PMCID: PMC3241575 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2011] [Accepted: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A plant is considered carnivorous if it receives any noticeable benefit from catching small animals. The morphological and physiological adaptations to carnivorous existence is most complex in plants, thanks to which carnivorous plants have been cited by Darwin as 'the most wonderful plants in the world'. When considering the range of these adaptations, one realizes that the carnivory is a result of a multitude of different features. SCOPE This review discusses a selection of relevant articles, culled from a wide array of research topics on plant carnivory, and focuses in particular on physiological processes associated with active trapping and digestion of prey. Carnivory offers the plants special advantages in habitats where nutrient supply is scarce. Counterbalancing costs are the investments in synthesis and the maintenance of trapping organs and hydrolysing enzymes. With the progress in genetic, molecular and microscopic techniques, we are well on the way to a full appreciation of various aspects of plant carnivory. CONCLUSIONS Sufficiently complex to be of scientific interest and finite enough to allow conclusive appraisal, carnivorous plants can be viewed as unique models for the examination of rapid organ movements, plant excitability, enzyme secretion, nutrient absorption, food-web relationships, phylogenetic and intergeneric relationships or structural and mineral investment in carnivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elzbieta Król
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland.
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Volkov AG, Murphy VA, Clemmons JI, Curley MJ, Markin VS. Energetics and forces of the Dionaea muscipula trap closing. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2012; 169:55-64. [PMID: 21908071 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2011.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Revised: 08/16/2011] [Accepted: 08/16/2011] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The Venus flytrap is the most famous carnivorous plant. The electrical stimulus between a midrib and a lobe closes the Venus flytrap upper leaf in 0.3s without mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs. Here we present results for direct measurements of the closing force of the trap of Dionaea muscipula Ellis after mechanical or electrical stimulation of the trap using the piezoelectric thin film or Fuji Prescale indicating sensor film. The closing force was 0.14N and the corresponding pressure between rims of two lobes was 38 kPa. We evaluated theoretically using the Hydroelastic Curvature Model and compared with experimental data velocity, acceleration and kinetic energy from the time dependencies of distance between rims of lobes during the trap closing. The Charge Stimulation Method was used for trap electrostimulation between the midrib and lobes. From the dependence of voltage between two Ag/AgCl electrodes in the midrib and one of the lobes, we estimated electrical charge, current, resistance, electrical energy and electrical power dependencies on time during electrostimulation of the trap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, Huntsville, 7000 Adventist Blvd., AL 35896, USA.
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Scorza LCT, Dornelas MC. Plants on the move: towards common mechanisms governing mechanically-induced plant movements. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2011; 6:1979-86. [PMID: 22231201 PMCID: PMC3337191 DOI: 10.4161/psb.6.12.18192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
One may think that plants seem relatively immobile. Nevertheless, plants not only produce movement but these movements can be quite rapid such as the closing traps of carnivorous plants, the folding up of leaflets in some Leguminosae species and the movement of floral organs in order to increase cross pollination. We focus this review on thigmotropic and thigmonastic movements, both in vegetative and reproductive parts of higher plants. Ultrastructural studies revealed that most thigmotropic and thigmonastic movements are caused by differentially changing cell turgor within a given tissue. Auxin has emerged as a key molecule that modulates proton extrusion and thus causing changes in cell turgor by enhancing the activity of H(+)ATPase in cell membranes. Finding conserved molecules and/or operational molecular modules among diverse types of movements would help us to find universal mechanisms controlling movements in plants and thus improve our understanding about the evolution of such phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcelo Carnier Dornelas
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal; Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Campinas, Brazil
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Volkov AG, Wooten JD, Waite AJ, Brown CR, Markin VS. Circadian rhythms in electrical circuits of Clivia miniata. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 168:1753-60. [PMID: 21546115 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2011.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2011] [Revised: 03/30/2011] [Accepted: 03/31/2011] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The biological clock regulates a wide range of physiological processes in plants. Here we show circadian variation of the Clivia miniata responses to electrical stimulation. The biologically closed electrochemical circuits in the leaves of C. miniata (Kaffir lily), which regulate its physiology, were analyzed in vivo using the charge stimulation method. The electrostimulation was provided with different voltages and electrical charges. Resistance between Ag/AgCl electrodes in the leaf of C. miniata was higher at night than during the day or the following day in the darkness. The biologically closed electrical circuits with voltage gated ion channels in C. miniata are activated the next day, even in the darkness. C. miniata memorizes daytime and nighttime. At continuous light, C. miniata recognizes nighttime and increases the input resistance to the nighttime value even under light. These results show that the circadian clock can be maintained endogenously and has electrochemical oscillators, which can activate voltage gated ion channels in biologically closed electrochemical circuits. The activation of voltage gated channels depends on the applied voltage, electrical charge and speed of transmission of electrical energy from the electrostimulator to the C. miniata leaves. We present the equivalent electrical circuits in C. miniata and its circadian variation to explain the experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL 35896, USA.
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Anisotropy and nonlinear properties of electrochemical circuits in leaves of Aloe vera L. Bioelectrochemistry 2011; 81:4-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2010.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2010] [Revised: 11/11/2010] [Accepted: 11/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Pavlovic A, Slováková L, Pandolfi C, Mancuso S. On the mechanism underlying photosynthetic limitation upon trigger hair irritation in the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Ellis). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2011; 62:1991-2000. [PMID: 21289078 PMCID: PMC3060689 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erq404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2010] [Revised: 10/14/2010] [Accepted: 11/11/2010] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs on the adaxial surface of the trap of Dionaea muscipula leads to the generation of action potentials and to rapid leaf movement. After rapid closure secures the prey, the struggle against the trigger hairs results in generation of further action potentials which inhibit photosynthesis. A detailed analysis of chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics and gas exchange measurements in response to generation of action potentials in irritated D. muscipula traps was used to determine the 'site effect' of the electrical signal-induced inhibition of photosynthesis. Irritation of trigger hairs and subsequent generation of action potentials resulted in a decrease in the effective photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II (Φ(PSII)) and the rate of net photosynthesis (A(N)). During the first seconds of irritation, increased excitation pressure in photosystem II (PSII) was the major contributor to the decreased Φ(PSII). Within ∼1 min, non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) released the excitation pressure at PSII. Measurements of the fast chlorophyll a fluorescence transient (O-J-I-P) revealed a direct impact of action potentials on the charge separation-recombination reactions in PSII, although the effect seems to be small rather than substantial. All the data presented here indicate that the main primary target of the electrical signal-induced inhibition of photosynthesis is the dark reaction, whereas the inhibition of electron transport is only a consequence of reduced carboxylation efficiency. In addition, the study also provides valuable data confirming the hypothesis that chlorophyll a fluorescence is under electrochemical control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Pavlovic
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Volkov AG, Baker K, Foster JC, Clemmons J, Jovanov E, Markin VS. Circadian variations in biologically closed electrochemical circuits in Aloe vera and Mimosa pudica. Bioelectrochemistry 2011; 81:39-45. [PMID: 21334987 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2011.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2010] [Revised: 01/16/2011] [Accepted: 01/23/2011] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The circadian clock regulates a wide range of electrophysiological and developmental processes in plants. This paper presents, for the first time, the direct influence of a circadian clock on biologically closed electrochemical circuits in vivo. Here we show circadian variation of the plant responses to electrical stimulation. The biologically closed electrochemical circuits in the leaves of Aloe vera and Mimosa pudica, which regulate their physiology, were analyzed using the charge stimulation method. The electrostimulation was provided with different timing and different voltages. Resistance between Ag/AgCl electrodes in the leaf of Aloe vera was higher during the day than at night. Discharge of the capacitor in Aloe vera at night was faster than during the day. Discharge of the capacitor in a pulvinus of Mimosa pudica was faster during the day. The biologically closed electrical circuits with voltage gated ion channels in Mimosa pudica are also activated the next day, even in the darkness. These results show that the circadian clock can be maintained endogenously and has electrochemical oscillators, which can activate ion channels in biologically closed electrochemical circuits. We present the equivalent electrical circuits in both plants and their circadian variation to explain the experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA.
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Volkov AG, Pinnock MR, Lowe DC, Gay MS, Markin VS. Complete hunting cycle of Dionaea muscipula: consecutive steps and their electrical properties. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 168:109-20. [PMID: 20667624 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2010.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2010] [Revised: 06/17/2010] [Accepted: 06/17/2010] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The total hunting cycle of the Venus flytrap consists of five stages: 1. Open state→2. Closed state→3. Locked state→4. Constriction and digestion→5. Semi-open state→1. Open state. The opening of the trap after digestion consists of two steps: opening of the lobes, and changing of their curvature from concave to convex shape. Uncouplers carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone (FCCP) and carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) inhibit the trap from opening for two weeks and antracene-9-carboxylic acid inhibits the trap from constricting. Different stages of the hunting cycle have different electrical characteristics. The biologically closed electrochemical circuits in the Venus flytrap are analyzed using the charged capacitor method. If the initial voltage applied to the Venus flytrap is 0.5V or greater, changing the polarity of the electrodes between the midrib and one of the lobes results in a rectification effect and in different kinetics of discharge capacitance. These effects can be caused by the fast transport of ions through ion channels. The electrical properties of the Venus flytrap were investigated and equivalent electrical circuits within the upper leaf were proposed to explain the experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA.
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Volkov AG, Foster JC, Baker KD, Markin VS. Mechanical and electrical anisotropy in Mimosa pudica pulvini. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2010; 5:1211-21. [PMID: 20855975 PMCID: PMC3115350 DOI: 10.4161/psb.5.10.12658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2010] [Accepted: 06/09/2010] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Thigmonastic or seismonastic movements in Mimosa pudica, such as the response to touch, appear to be regulated by electrical, hydrodynamical, and chemical signal transduction. The pulvinus of Mimosa pudica shows elastic properties, and we found that electrically or mechanically induced movements of the petiole were accompanied by a change of the pulvinus shape. As the petiole falls, the volume of the lower part of the pulvinus decreases and the volume of the upper part increases due to the redistribution of water between the upper and lower parts of the pulvinus. This hydroelastic process is reversible. During the relaxation of the petiole, the volume of the lower part of the pulvinus increases and the volume of the upper part decreases. Redistribution of ions between the upper and lower parts of a pulvinus causes fast transport of water through aquaporins and causes a fast change in the volume of the motor cells. Here, the biologically closed electrochemical circuits in electrically and mechanically anisotropic pulvini of Mimosa pudica are analyzed using the charged capacitor method for electrostimulation at different voltages. Changing the polarity of electrodes leads to a strong rectification effect in a pulvinus and to different kinetics of a capacitor discharge if the applied initial voltage is 0.5 V or higher. The electrical properties of Mimosa pudica's pulvini were investigated and the equivalent electrical circuit within the pulvinus was proposed to explain the experimental data. The detailed mechanism of seismonastic movements in Mimosa pudica is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL, USA.
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Volkov AG, Foster JC, Markin VS. Molecular electronics in pinnae of Mimosa pudica. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2010; 5:826-31. [PMID: 20448476 PMCID: PMC3115031 DOI: 10.4161/psb.5.7.11569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2010] [Accepted: 02/15/2010] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Bioelectrochemical circuits operate in all plants including the sensitive plant Mimosa pudica Linn. The activation of biologically closed circuits with voltage gated ion channels can lead to various mechanical, hydrodynamical, physiological, biochemical, and biophysical responses. Here the biologically closed electrochemical circuit in pinnae of Mimosa pudica is analyzed using the charged capacitor method for electrostimulation at different voltages. Also the equivalent electrical scheme of electrical signal transduction inside the plant's pinna is evaluated. These circuits remain linear at small potentials not exceeding 0.5 V. At higher potentials the circuits become strongly non-linear pointing to the opening of ion channels in plant tissues. Changing the polarity of electrodes leads to a strong rectification effect and to different kinetics of a capacitor. These effects can be caused by a redistribution of K(+), Cl(-), Ca(2+), and H(+) ions through voltage gated ion channels. The electrical properties of Mimosa pudica were investigated and equivalent electrical circuits within the pinnae were proposed to explain the experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL, USA.
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Volkov AG, Foster JC, Markin VS. Signal transduction in Mimosa pudica: biologically closed electrical circuits. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2010; 33:816-827. [PMID: 20040063 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2009.02108.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Biologically closed electrical circuits operate over large distances in biological tissues. The activation of such circuits can lead to various physiological and biophysical responses. Here, we analyse the biologically closed electrical circuits of the sensitive plant Mimosa pudica Linn. using electrostimulation of a petiole or pulvinus by the charged capacitor method, and evaluate the equivalent electrical scheme of electrical signal transduction inside the plant. The discharge of a 100 microF capacitor in the pulvinus resulted in the downward fall of the petiole in a few seconds, if the capacitor was charged beforehand by a 1.5 V power supply. Upon disconnection of the capacitor from Ag/AgCl electrodes, the petiole slowly relaxed to the initial position. The electrical properties of the M. pudica were investigated, and an equivalent electrical circuit was proposed that explains the experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL 35896, USA.
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Volkov AG, Foster JC, Ashby TA, Walker RK, Johnson JA, Markin VS. Mimosa pudica: Electrical and mechanical stimulation of plant movements. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2010; 33:163-73. [PMID: 19895396 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2009.02066.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Thigmonastic movements in the sensitive plant Mimosa pudica L., associated with fast responses to environmental stimuli, appear to be regulated through electrical and chemical signal transductions. The thigmonastic responses of M. pudica can be considered in three stages: stimulus perception, electrical signal transmission and induction of mechanical, hydrodynamical and biochemical responses. We investigated the mechanical movements of the pinnae and petioles in M. pudica induced by the electrical stimulation of a pulvinus, petiole, secondary pulvinus or pinna by a low electrical voltage and charge. The threshold value was 1.3-1.5 V of applied voltage and 2 to 10 microC of charge for the closing of the pinnules. Both voltage and electrical charge are responsible for the electro-stimulated closing of a leaf. The mechanism behind closing the leaf in M. pudica is discussed. The hydroelastic curvature mechanism closely describes the kinetics of M. pudica leaf movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Volkov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oakwood University, 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896, USA.
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Rensing L, Koch M, Becker A. A comparative approach to the principal mechanisms of different memory systems. Naturwissenschaften 2009; 96:1373-84. [PMID: 19680619 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-009-0591-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2009] [Revised: 07/07/2009] [Accepted: 07/12/2009] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The term "memory" applies not only to the preservation of information in neuronal and immune systems but also to phenomena observed for example in plants, single cells, and RNA viruses. We here compare the different forms of information storage with respect to possible common features. The latter may be characterized by (1) selection of pre-existing information, (2) activation of memory systems often including transcriptional, and translational, as well as epigenetic and genetic mechanisms, (3) subsequent consolidation of the activated state in a latent form (standby mode), and (4) reactivation of the latent state of memory systems when the organism is exposed to the same (or conditioned) signal or to previous selective constraints. These features apparently also exist in the "evolutionary memory," i.e., in evolving populations which have highly variable mutant spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludger Rensing
- Department of Biology, University of Bremen, 28334, Bremen, Germany.
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