1
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Cervera J, Manzanares JA, Levin M, Mafe S. Oscillatory phenomena in electrophysiological networks: The coupling between cell bioelectricity and transcription. Comput Biol Med 2024; 180:108964. [PMID: 39106669 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Morphogenetic regulation during embryogenesis and regeneration rely on information transfer and coordination between different regions. Here, we explore theoretically the coupling between bioelectrical and transcriptional oscillations at the individual cell and multicellular levels. The simulations, based on a set of ion channels and intercellular gap junctions, show that bioelectrical and transcriptional waves can electrophysiologically couple distant regions of a model network in phase and antiphase oscillatory states that include synchronization phenomena. In this way, different multicellular regionalizations can be encoded by cell potentials that oscillate between depolarized and polarized states, thus allowing a spatio-temporal coding. Because the electric potential patterns characteristic of development and regeneration are correlated with the spatial distributions of signaling ions and molecules, bioelectricity can act as a template for slow biochemical signals following a hierarchy of experimental times. In particular, bioelectrical gradients that couple cell potentials to transcription rates give to each single cell a rough idea of its location in the multicellular ensemble, thus controlling local differentiation processes that switch on and off crucial parts of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Cervera
- Dept. Termodinàmica, Facultat de Física, Universitat de València, 46100, Burjassot, Spain.
| | - José A Manzanares
- Dept. Termodinàmica, Facultat de Física, Universitat de València, 46100, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Michael Levin
- Dept. of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA; Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Salvador Mafe
- Dept. Termodinàmica, Facultat de Física, Universitat de València, 46100, Burjassot, Spain; Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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2
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Norfleet DA, Melendez AJ, Alting C, Kannan S, Nikitina AA, Caldeira Botelho R, Yang B, Kemp ML. Identification of Distinct, Quantitative Pattern Classes from Emergent Tissue-Scale hiPSC Bioelectric Properties. Cells 2024; 13:1136. [PMID: 38994988 PMCID: PMC11240333 DOI: 10.3390/cells13131136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Bioelectric signals possess the ability to robustly control and manipulate patterning during embryogenesis and tissue-level regeneration. Endogenous local and global electric fields function as a spatial 'pre-pattern', controlling cell fates and tissue-scale anatomical boundaries; however, the mechanisms facilitating these robust multiscale outcomes are poorly characterized. Computational modeling addresses the need to predict in vitro patterning behavior and further elucidate the roles of cellular bioelectric signaling components in patterning outcomes. Here, we modified a previously designed image pattern recognition algorithm to distinguish unique spatial features of simulated non-excitable bioelectric patterns under distinct cell culture conditions. This algorithm was applied to comparisons between simulated patterns and experimental microscopy images of membrane potential (Vmem) across cultured human iPSC colonies. Furthermore, we extended the prediction to a novel co-culture condition in which cell sub-populations possessing different ionic fluxes were simulated; the defining spatial features were recapitulated in vitro with genetically modified colonies. These results collectively inform strategies for modeling multiscale spatial characteristics that emerge in multicellular systems, characterizing the molecular contributions to heterogeneity of membrane potential in non-excitable cells, and enabling downstream engineered bioelectrical tissue design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Andre Norfleet
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Anja J Melendez
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Caroline Alting
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Siya Kannan
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Arina A Nikitina
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 931016, USA
| | - Raquel Caldeira Botelho
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Bo Yang
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Melissa L Kemp
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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3
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Pio-Lopez L, Levin M. Aging as a loss of morphostatic information: A developmental bioelectricity perspective. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 97:102310. [PMID: 38636560 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Maintaining order at the tissue level is crucial throughout the lifespan, as failure can lead to cancer and an accumulation of molecular and cellular disorders. Perhaps, the most consistent and pervasive result of these failures is aging, which is characterized by the progressive loss of function and decline in the ability to maintain anatomical homeostasis and reproduce. This leads to organ malfunction, diseases, and ultimately death. The traditional understanding of aging is that it is caused by the accumulation of molecular and cellular damage. In this article, we propose a complementary view of aging from the perspective of endogenous bioelectricity which has not yet been integrated into aging research. We propose a view of aging as a morphostasis defect, a loss of biophysical prepattern information, encoding anatomical setpoints used for dynamic tissue and organ homeostasis. We hypothesize that this is specifically driven by abrogation of the endogenous bioelectric signaling that normally harnesses individual cell behaviors toward the creation and upkeep of complex multicellular structures in vivo. Herein, we first describe bioelectricity as the physiological software of life, and then identify and discuss the links between bioelectricity and life extension strategies and age-related diseases. We develop a bridge between aging and regeneration via bioelectric signaling that suggests a research program for healthful longevity via morphoceuticals. Finally, we discuss the broader implications of the homologies between development, aging, cancer and regeneration and how morphoceuticals can be developed for aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léo Pio-Lopez
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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4
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Rühl P, Nair AG, Gawande N, Dehiwalage SNCW, Münster L, Schönherr R, Heinemann SH. An Ultrasensitive Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicator Uncovers the Electrical Activity of Non-Excitable Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2307938. [PMID: 38526185 PMCID: PMC11132041 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202307938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Most animal cell types are classified as non-excitable because they do not generate action potentials observed in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. Thus, resolving voltage signals in non-excitable cells demands sensors with exceptionally high voltage sensitivity. In this study, the ultrabright, ultrasensitive, and calibratable genetically encoded voltage sensor rEstus is developed using structure-guided engineering. rEstus is most sensitive in the resting voltage range of non-excitable cells and offers a 3.6-fold improvement in brightness change for fast voltage spikes over its precursor ASAP3. Using rEstus, it is uncovered that the membrane voltage in several non-excitable cell lines (A375, HEK293T, MCF7) undergoes spontaneous endogenous alterations on a second to millisecond timescale. Correlation analysis of these optically recorded voltage alterations provides a direct, real-time readout of electrical cell-cell coupling, showing that visually connected A375 and HEK293T cells are also largely electrically connected, while MCF7 cells are only weakly coupled. The presented work provides enhanced tools and methods for non-invasive voltage imaging in living cells and demonstrates that spontaneous endogenous membrane voltage alterations are not limited to excitable cells but also occur in a variety of non-excitable cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Rühl
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Anagha G Nair
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Namrata Gawande
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Sassrika N C W Dehiwalage
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Lukas Münster
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Roland Schönherr
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan H Heinemann
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
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5
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Gest AMM, Lazzari-Dean JR, Ortiz G, Yaeger-Weiss SK, Boggess SC, Miller EW. A red-emitting carborhodamine for monitoring and measuring membrane potential. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315264121. [PMID: 38551837 PMCID: PMC10998576 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315264121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological membrane potentials, or voltages, are a central facet of cellular life. Optical methods to visualize cellular membrane voltages with fluorescent indicators are an attractive complement to traditional electrode-based approaches, since imaging methods can be high throughput, less invasive, and provide more spatial resolution than electrodes. Recently developed fluorescent indicators for voltage largely report changes in membrane voltage by monitoring voltage-dependent fluctuations in fluorescence intensity. However, it would be useful to be able to not only monitor changes but also measure values of membrane potentials. This study discloses a fluorescent indicator which can address both. We describe the synthesis of a sulfonated tetramethyl carborhodamine fluorophore. When this carborhodamine is conjugated with an electron-rich, methoxy (-OMe) containing phenylenevinylene molecular wire, the resulting molecule, CRhOMe, is a voltage-sensitive fluorophore with red/far-red fluorescence. Using CRhOMe, changes in cellular membrane potential can be read out using fluorescence intensity or lifetime. In fluorescence intensity mode, CRhOMe tracks fast-spiking neuronal action potentials (APs) with greater signal-to-noise than state-of-the-art BeRST 1 (another voltage-sensitive fluorophore). CRhOMe can also measure values of membrane potential. The fluorescence lifetime of CRhOMe follows a single exponential decay, substantially improving the quantification of membrane potential values using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). The combination of red-shifted excitation and emission, mono-exponential decay, and high voltage sensitivity enable fast FLIM recording of APs in cardiomyocytes. The ability to both monitor and measure membrane potentials with red light using CRhOMe makes it an important approach for studying biological voltages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gloria Ortiz
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | | | - Steven C Boggess
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Evan W Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
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6
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Scheibner C, Ori H, Cohen AE, Vitelli V. Spiking at the edge: Excitability at interfaces in reaction-diffusion systems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2307996120. [PMID: 38215183 PMCID: PMC10801884 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307996120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Excitable media, ranging from bioelectric tissues and chemical oscillators to forest fires and competing populations, are nonlinear, spatially extended systems capable of spiking. Most investigations of excitable media consider situations where the amplifying and suppressing forces necessary for spiking coexist at every point in space. In this case, spikes arise due to local bistabilities, which require a fine-tuned ratio between local amplification and suppression strengths. But, in nature and engineered systems, these forces can be segregated in space, forming structures like interfaces and boundaries. Here, we show how boundaries can generate and protect spiking when the reacting components can spread out: Even arbitrarily weak diffusion can cause spiking at the edge between two non-excitable media. This edge spiking arises due to a global bistability, which can occur even if amplification and suppression strengths do not allow spiking when mixed. We analytically derive a spiking phase diagram that depends on two parameters: i) the ratio between the system size and the characteristic diffusive length-scale and ii) the ratio between the amplification and suppression strengths. Our analysis explains recent experimental observations of action potentials at the interface between two non-excitable bioelectric tissues. Beyond electrophysiology, we highlight how edge spiking emerges in predator-prey dynamics and in oscillating chemical reactions. Our findings provide a theoretical blueprint for a class of interfacial excitations in reaction-diffusion systems, with potential implications for spatially controlled chemical reactions, nonlinear waveguides and neuromorphic computation, as well as spiking instabilities, such as cardiac arrhythmias, that naturally occur in heterogeneous biological media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Scheibner
- Department of Physics and The James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
- Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
| | - Hillel Ori
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Adam E. Cohen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Vincenzo Vitelli
- Department of Physics and The James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
- Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
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7
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Batista Napotnik T, Kos B, Jarm T, Miklavčič D, O'Connor RP, Rems L. Genetically engineered HEK cells as a valuable tool for studying electroporation in excitable cells. Sci Rep 2024; 14:720. [PMID: 38184741 PMCID: PMC10771480 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-51073-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Electric pulses used in electroporation-based treatments have been shown to affect the excitability of muscle and neuronal cells. However, understanding the interplay between electroporation and electrophysiological response of excitable cells is complex, since both ion channel gating and electroporation depend on dynamic changes in the transmembrane voltage (TMV). In this study, a genetically engineered human embryonic kidney cells expressing NaV1.5 and Kir2.1, a minimal complementary channels required for excitability (named S-HEK), was characterized as a simple cell model used for studying the effects of electroporation in excitable cells. S-HEK cells and their non-excitable counterparts (NS-HEK) were exposed to 100 µs pulses of increasing electric field strength. Changes in TMV, plasma membrane permeability, and intracellular Ca2+ were monitored with fluorescence microscopy. We found that a very mild electroporation, undetectable with the classical propidium assay but associated with a transient increase in intracellular Ca2+, can already have a profound effect on excitability close to the electrostimulation threshold, as corroborated by multiscale computational modelling. These results are of great relevance for understanding the effects of pulse delivery on cell excitability observed in context of the rapidly developing cardiac pulsed field ablation as well as other electroporation-based treatments in excitable tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Batista Napotnik
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Bor Kos
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Jarm
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Miklavčič
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rodney P O'Connor
- École des Mines de Saint-Étienne, Department of Bioelectronics, Georges Charpak Campus, Centre Microélectronique de Provence, 880 Route de Mimet, 13120, Gardanne, France
| | - Lea Rems
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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8
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Gest AMM, Lazzari-Dean JR, Ortiz G, Yaeger-Weiss SK, Boggess SC, Miller EW. A red-emitting carborhodamine for monitoring and measuring membrane potential. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.06.561080. [PMID: 37873283 PMCID: PMC10592620 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.06.561080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Biological membrane potentials, or voltages, are a central facet of cellular life. Optical methods to visualize cellular membrane voltages with fluorescent indicators are an attractive complement to traditional electrode-based approaches, since imaging methods can be high throughput, less invasive, and provide more spatial resolution than electrodes. Recently developed fluorescent indicators for voltage largely report changes in membrane voltage by monitoring voltage-dependent fluctuations in fluorescence intensity. However, it would be useful to be able to not only monitor changes, but also measure values of membrane potentials. This study discloses a new fluorescent indicator which can address both. We describe the synthesis of a new sulfonated tetramethyl carborhodamine fluorophore. When this carborhodamine is conjugated with an electron-rich, methoxy (-OMe) containing phenylenevinylene molecular wire, the resulting molecule, CRhOMe, is a voltage-sensitive fluorophore with red/far-red fluorescence. Using CRhOMe, changes in cellular membrane potential can be read out using fluorescence intensity or lifetime. In fluorescence intensity mode, CRhOMe tracks fast-spiking neuronal action potentials with greater signal-to-noise than state-of-the-art BeRST (another voltage-sensitive fluorophore). CRhOMe can also measure values of membrane potential. The fluorescence lifetime of CRhOMe follows a single exponential decay, substantially improving the quantification of membrane potential values using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). The combination of red-shifted excitation and emission, mono-exponential decay, and high voltage sensitivity enable fast FLIM recording of action potentials in cardiomyocytes. The ability to both monitor and measure membrane potentials with red light using CRhOMe makes it an important approach for studying biological voltages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gloria Ortiz
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
| | | | | | - Evan W Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley
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9
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Cervera J, Levin M, Mafe S. Correcting instructive electric potential patterns in multicellular systems: External actions and endogenous processes. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2023; 1867:130440. [PMID: 37527731 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transmembrane electrical potential differences in cells modulate the spatio-temporal distribution of signaling ions and molecules that are instructive for downstream signaling pathways in multicellular systems. The local coupling between bioelectricity and protein transcription patterns allows dynamic subsystems (modules) of cells that share the same bioelectrical state to show similar biochemical downstream processes. METHODS We simulate theoretically how the integration-segregation pattern formed by the different multicellular modules that define a biosystem can be controlled by multicellular potentials. To this end, we couple together the model equations of the bioelectrical network to those of the genetic network. RESULTS The coupling provided by the intercellular junctions and the external microenvironment allows the restoration of the target bioelectrical pattern by changing the transcription rate of specific ion channels, the post-translational blocking of these channels, and changes in the environmental ionic concentrations. CONCLUSIONS The simulations show that the single-cell feedback between bioelectrical and transcriptional processes, together with the coupling provided by the intercellular junctions and the environment, can correct large-scale patterns by means of suitable external actions. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE This study provides a theoretical advancement in the understanding of how the multicellular bioelectric coupling may guide repolarizing interventions for regenerating a tissue, with potential implications in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Cervera
- Dept. Termodinàmica, Facultat de Física, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain.
| | - Michael Levin
- Dept. of Biology and Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, USA
| | - Salvador Mafe
- Dept. Termodinàmica, Facultat de Física, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
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10
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Qiao Z, Ding J, Wu C, Zhou T, Wu K, Zhang Y, Xiao Z, Wei D, Sun J, Fan H. One-Pot Synthesis of Bi 2 S 3 /TiO 2 /rGO Heterostructure with Red Light-Driven Photovoltaic Effect for Remote Electrotherapy-Assisted Wound Repair. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2206231. [PMID: 36464643 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202206231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The past decades have witnessed the rational design of novel functional nanomaterials and the potential to revolutionize many applications. With the increasing focus on electronic biological processes, novel photovoltaic nanomaterials are highly expectable for empowering new therapeutic strategies such as establishing a link between endogenous electric field (EEF) and electrotherapy. Compared to traditional invasive stimulation, the light-initiating strategy has the advantages of non-invasion, non-power supply, and precise controllability. Whereas, common photoactivated materials require short-wavelength light excitation accompanied by poor tissue penetration and biohazard. Herein, by the construction of p-n heterostructured Bi2 S3 /TiO2 /rGO (BTG) nanoparticles, broadener light absorption and higher light conversion than regular UV excitation are realized. Simultaneously, the photoelectric performance of BTG heterostructure, as well as the synergistic effect of Bi2 S3 morphology, are revealed. Besides, the rationally designed biomimetic hydrogel matrix consisting of collagen and hyaluronic acid provides appropriate bioactivity, interface adhesion, mechanical matching, and electron transfer. Therefore, the photovoltaic BTG-loaded matrix provides a platform of light-driven electrical stimulation, coupling the EEF to modulate the electrophysiological and regeneration microenvironment. The implementation of photoelectric stimulation holds broad prospects for non-drug therapy and electrical-related biological process modulation including osseointegration, nerve regeneration, electronic skin, and wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Qiao
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Jie Ding
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Chengheng Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
- Institute of Regulatory Science for Medical Devices, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, P. R. China
| | - Ting Zhou
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Kai Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Yusheng Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Zhanwen Xiao
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Dan Wei
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Jing Sun
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Hongsong Fan
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, P. R. China
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11
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Yavitt FM, Kirkpatrick BE, Blatchley MR, Speckl KF, Mohagheghian E, Moldovan R, Wang N, Dempsey PJ, Anseth KS. In situ modulation of intestinal organoid epithelial curvature through photoinduced viscoelasticity directs crypt morphogenesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd5668. [PMID: 36662859 PMCID: PMC9858500 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add5668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Spatiotemporally coordinated transformations in epithelial curvature are necessary to generate crypt-villus structures during intestinal development. However, the temporal regulation of mechanotransduction pathways that drive crypt morphogenesis remains understudied. Intestinal organoids have proven useful to study crypt morphogenesis in vitro, yet the reliance on static culture scaffolds limits the ability to assess the temporal effects of changing curvature. Here, a photoinduced hydrogel cross-link exchange reaction is used to spatiotemporally alter epithelial curvature and study how dynamic changes in curvature influence mechanotransduction pathways to instruct crypt morphogenesis. Photopatterned curvature increased membrane tension and depolarization, which was required for subsequent nuclear localization of yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) observed 24 hours following curvature change. Curvature-directed crypt morphogenesis only occurred following a delay in the induction of differentiation that coincided with the delay in spatially restricted YAP localization, indicating that dynamic changes in curvature initiate epithelial curvature-dependent mechanotransduction pathways that temporally regulate crypt morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Max Yavitt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Bruce E. Kirkpatrick
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael R. Blatchley
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Kelly F. Speckl
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Erfan Mohagheghian
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Radu Moldovan
- Advanced Light Microscopy Core Facility, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Peter J. Dempsey
- Section of Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Denver, CO 80204, USA
| | - Kristi S. Anseth
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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12
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Electron transfer in protein modifications: from detection to imaging. Sci China Chem 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-022-1417-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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13
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Pai VP, Levin M. HCN2 Channel-induced Rescue of Brain, Eye, Heart, and Gut Teratogenesis Caused by Nicotine, Ethanol, and Aberrant Notch Signaling. Wound Repair Regen 2022; 30:681-706. [PMID: 35662339 DOI: 10.1111/wrr.13032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Organogenesis is a complex process that can be disrupted by embryonic exposure to teratogens or mutation-induced alterations in signaling pathways, both of which result in organ mispatterning. Building on prior work in Xenopus laevis that showed that increased HCN2 ion channel activity rescues nicotine-induced brain & eye morphogenesis, we demonstrate much broader HCN2-based rescue of organ patterning defects. Induced HCN2 expression in both local or distant tissues can rescue CNS (brain & eye) as well as non-CNS (heart, & gut) organ defects induced by three different teratogenic conditions: nicotine exposure, ethanol exposure, or aberrant Notch protein. Rescue can also be induced by small-molecule HCN2 channel activators, even with delayed treatment initiation. Our results suggest that HCN2 (likely mediated by bioelectric signals) can be an effective regulator of organogenesis from all three germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm) and reveal non-cell-autonomous influences on organ formation that work at considerable distance during embryonic development. These results suggest molecular bioelectric strategies for repair that could be explored in the future for regenerative medicine. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhav P Pai
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
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14
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Levin M. Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere: An Experimentally-Grounded Framework for Understanding Diverse Bodies and Minds. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:768201. [PMID: 35401131 PMCID: PMC8988303 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.768201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology and bioengineering provide the opportunity to create novel embodied cognitive systems (otherwise known as minds) in a very wide variety of chimeric architectures combining evolved and designed material and software. These advances are disrupting familiar concepts in the philosophy of mind, and require new ways of thinking about and comparing truly diverse intelligences, whose composition and origin are not like any of the available natural model species. In this Perspective, I introduce TAME-Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere-a framework for understanding and manipulating cognition in unconventional substrates. TAME formalizes a non-binary (continuous), empirically-based approach to strongly embodied agency. TAME provides a natural way to think about animal sentience as an instance of collective intelligence of cell groups, arising from dynamics that manifest in similar ways in numerous other substrates. When applied to regenerating/developmental systems, TAME suggests a perspective on morphogenesis as an example of basal cognition. The deep symmetry between problem-solving in anatomical, physiological, transcriptional, and 3D (traditional behavioral) spaces drives specific hypotheses by which cognitive capacities can increase during evolution. An important medium exploited by evolution for joining active subunits into greater agents is developmental bioelectricity, implemented by pre-neural use of ion channels and gap junctions to scale up cell-level feedback loops into anatomical homeostasis. This architecture of multi-scale competency of biological systems has important implications for plasticity of bodies and minds, greatly potentiating evolvability. Considering classical and recent data from the perspectives of computational science, evolutionary biology, and basal cognition, reveals a rich research program with many implications for cognitive science, evolutionary biology, regenerative medicine, and artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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15
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Ortiz G, Liu P, Deal PE, Nensel AK, Martinez KN, Shamardani K, Adesnik H, Miller EW. A silicon-rhodamine chemical-genetic hybrid for far red voltage imaging from defined neurons in brain slice. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1594-1599. [PMID: 34977574 PMCID: PMC8637932 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00156f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe the design, synthesis, and application of voltage-sensitive silicon rhodamines. Based on the Berkeley Red Sensor of Transmembrane potential, or BeRST, scaffold, the new dyes possess an isomeric molecular wire for improved alignment in the plasma membrane and 2′ carboxylic acids for ready functionalization. The new isoBeRST dyes have a voltage sensitivity of 24% ΔF/F per 100 mV. Combined with a flexible polyethyleneglycol (PEG) linker and a chloroalkane HaloTag ligand, isoBeRST dyes enable voltage imaging from genetically defined cells and neurons and provide improved labeling over previous, rhodamine-based hybrid strategies. isoBeRST-Halo hybrid indicators achieve single-trial voltage imaging of membrane potential dynamics from cultured hippocampal neurons or cortical neurons in brain slices. With far-red/near infrared excitation and emission, turn-on response to action potentials, and effective cell labeling in thick tissue, the new isoBeRST-Halo derivatives provide an important complement to voltage imaging in neurobiology. Small-molecule enzyme hybrids pair a far-red voltage-sensitive fluorophore with a cell-surface expressed HaloTag enzyme via a flexible linker to enable voltage imaging from genetically defined neurons in culture and brain slice.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Ortiz
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA
| | - Pei Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA
| | - Parker E Deal
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA
| | - Ashley K Nensel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA
| | - Kayli N Martinez
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA
| | - Kiarash Shamardani
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA
| | - Hillel Adesnik
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA
| | - Evan W Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA .,Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley California 94720-1460 USA
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16
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Cell Systems Bioelectricity: How Different Intercellular Gap Junctions Could Regionalize a Multicellular Aggregate. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215300. [PMID: 34771463 PMCID: PMC8582473 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Electric potential distributions can act as instructive pre-patterns for development, regeneration, and tumorigenesis in cell systems. The biophysical states influence transcription, proliferation, cell shape, migration, and differentiation through biochemical and biomechanical downstream transduction processes. A major knowledge gap is the origin of spatial patterns in vivo, and their relationship to the ion channels and the electrical synapses known as gap junctions. Understanding this is critical for basic evolutionary developmental biology as well as for regenerative medicine. We computationally show that cells may express connexin proteins with different voltage-gated gap junction conductances as a way to maintain multicellular regions at distinct membrane potentials. We show that increasing the multicellular connectivity via enhanced junction function does not always contribute to the bioelectrical normalization of abnormally depolarized multicellular patches. From a purely electrical junction view, this result suggests that the reduction rather than the increase of specific connexin levels can also be a suitable bioelectrical approach in some cases and time stages. We offer a minimum model that incorporates effective conductances ultimately related to specific ion channel and junction proteins that are amenable to external regulation. We suggest that the bioelectrical patterns and their encoded instructive information can be externally modulated by acting on the mean fields of cell systems, a complementary approach to that of acting on the molecular characteristics of individual cells. We believe that despite the limitations of a biophysically focused model, our approach can offer useful qualitative insights into the collective dynamics of cell system bioelectricity.
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17
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Lazzari-Dean JR, Miller EW. Optical Estimation of Absolute Membrane Potential Using One- and Two-Photon Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy. Bioelectricity 2021; 3:197-203. [PMID: 34734167 DOI: 10.1089/bioe.2021.0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Membrane potential (V mem) exerts physiological influence across a wide range of time and space scales. To study V mem in these diverse contexts, it is essential to accurately record absolute values of V mem, rather than solely relative measurements. Materials and Methods: We use fluorescence lifetime imaging of a small molecule voltage sensitive dye (VF2.1.Cl) to estimate mV values of absolute membrane potential. Results: We test the consistency of VF2.1.Cl lifetime measurements performed on different single-photon counting instruments and find that they are in striking agreement (differences of <0.5 ps/mV in the slope and <50 ps in the y-intercept). We also demonstrate that VF2.1.Cl lifetime reports absolute V mem under two-photon (2P) illumination with better than 20 mV of V mem resolution, a nearly 10-fold improvement over other lifetime-based methods. Conclusions: We demonstrate that VF-FLIM is a robust and portable metric for V mem across imaging platforms and under both one-photon and 2P illumination. This work is a critical foundation for application of VF-FLIM to record absolute membrane potential signals in thick tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Lazzari-Dean
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Evan W Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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18
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Grodstein J, Levin M. Stability and robustness properties of bioelectric networks: A computational approach. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2021; 2:031305. [PMID: 38505634 PMCID: PMC10903393 DOI: 10.1063/5.0062442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Morphogenesis during development and regeneration requires cells to communicate and cooperate toward the construction of complex anatomical structures. One important set of mechanisms for coordinating growth and form occurs via developmental bioelectricity-the dynamics of cellular networks driving changes of resting membrane potential which interface with transcriptional and biomechanical downstream cascades. While many molecular details have been elucidated about the instructive processes mediated by ion channel-dependent signaling outside of the nervous system, future advances in regenerative medicine and bioengineering require the understanding of tissue, organ, or whole body-level properties. A key aspect of bioelectric networks is their robustness, which can drive correct, invariant patterning cues despite changing cell number and anatomical configuration of the underlying tissue network. Here, we computationally analyze the minimal models of bioelectric networks and use the example of the regenerating planarian flatworm, to reveal important system-level aspects of bioelectrically derived patterns. These analyses promote an understanding of the robustness of circuits controlling regeneration and suggest design properties that can be exploited for synthetic bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Grodstein
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
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19
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Yang Q, Jiang N, Xu H, Zhang Y, Xiong C, Huang J. Integration of electrotaxis and durotaxis in cancer cells: Subtle nonlinear responses to electromechanical coupling cues. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 186:113289. [PMID: 33975207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cells in living organisms live in multiphysics-coupled environments. There is growing evidence indicating that both exogenous electric field (EEF) and extracellular stiffness gradient (ESG) can regulate directional movement of cells, which are known as electrotaxis and durotaxis, respectively. How single cells respond to the ubiquitous electromechanical coupling cues, however, remains mysterious. Using microfluidic chip-based methodology and finite element-based electromechanical coupling design strategies, we develope an electromechanical coupling microchip system, enabling us to quantitatively investigate polarization and directional migration governed by EEF and ESG at the single cell level. It is revealed that both of electrotaxis and durotaxis nonlinearly depend on the physiological EEF and ESG, respectively. Specific combinations of EEF and ESG can subtly modify the polarization states of single cells and thus induce hyperpolarization and depolarization. Cells can integrate electrotaxis and durotaxis in response to multi-cue microenvironments via subtle mechanisms involving cooperation and competition during cellular electrosensing and mechanosensing. The work offers a platform for quantifying migration and polarization of cells driven by electromechanical cues, which is essential not only for elucidating physiological and pathological processes like embryo development, and invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, but for manipulating cell behaviors in a controllable and programmable fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qunfeng Yang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Hongwei Xu
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yajun Zhang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Chunyang Xiong
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianyong Huang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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20
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A bioelectric model of carcinogenesis, including propagation of cell membrane depolarization and reversal therapies. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13607. [PMID: 34193902 PMCID: PMC8245601 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92951-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
As the main theory of carcinogenesis, the Somatic Mutation Theory, increasingly presents difficulties to explain some experimental observations, different theories are being proposed. A major alternative approach is the Tissue Organization Field Theory, which explains cancer origin as a tissue regulation disease instead of having a mainly cellular origin. This work fits in the latter hypothesis, proposing the bioelectric field, in particular the cell membrane polarization state, and ionic exchange through ion channels and gap junctions, as an important mechanism of cell communication and tissue organization and regulation. Taking into account recent experimental results and proposed bioelectric models, a computational model of cancer initiation was developed, including the propagation of a cell depolarization wave in the tissue under consideration. Cell depolarization leads to a change in its state, with the activation and deactivation of several regulation pathways, increasing cell proliferation and motility, changing its epigenetic state to a more stem cell-like behavior without the requirement of genomic mutation. The intercellular communication via gap junctions leads, in certain circumstances, to a bioelectric state propagation to neighbor cells, in a chain-like reaction, till an electric discontinuity is reached. However, this is a reversible process, and it was shown experimentally that, by implementing a therapy targeted on cell ion exchange channels, it is possible to reverse the state and repolarize cells. This mechanism can be an important alternative way in cancer prevention, diagnosis and therapy, and new experiments are proposed to test the presented hypothesis.
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21
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Abstract
It is well known that electrical signals are deeply associated with living entities. Much of our understanding of excitable tissues is derived from studies of specialized cells of neurons or myocytes. However, electric potential is present in all cell types and results from the differential partitioning of ions across membranes. This electrical potential correlates with cell behavior and tissue organization. In recent years, there has been exciting, and broadly unexpected, evidence linking the regulation of development to bioelectric signals. However, experimental modulation of electrical potential can have multifaceted and pleiotropic effects, which makes dissecting the role of electrical signals in development difficult. Here, I review evidence that bioelectric cues play defined instructional roles in orchestrating development and regeneration, and further outline key areas in which to refine our understanding of this signaling mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P. Harris
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Department of Orthopaedics, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue Enders 260, Boston MA 02115, USA
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22
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Abstract
Membrane potential (Vmem) is a fundamental biophysical signal present in all cells. Vmem signals range in time from milliseconds to days, and they span lengths from microns to centimeters. Vmem affects many cellular processes, ranging from neurotransmitter release to cell cycle control to tissue patterning. However, existing tools are not suitable for Vmem quantification in many of these areas. In this review, we outline the diverse biology of Vmem, drafting a wish list of features for a Vmem sensing platform. We then use these guidelines to discuss electrode-based and optical platforms for interrogating Vmem. On the one hand, electrode-based strategies exhibit excellent quantification but are most effective in short-term, cellular recordings. On the other hand, optical strategies provide easier access to diverse samples but generally only detect relative changes in Vmem. By combining the respective strengths of these technologies, recent advances in optical quantification of absolute Vmem enable new inquiries into Vmem biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Lazzari-Dean
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; ,
| | - Anneliese M M Gest
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; ,
| | - Evan W Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; ,
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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23
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Bioelectric signaling: Reprogrammable circuits underlying embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer. Cell 2021; 184:1971-1989. [PMID: 33826908 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
How are individual cell behaviors coordinated toward invariant large-scale anatomical outcomes in development and regeneration despite unpredictable perturbations? Endogenous distributions of membrane potentials, produced by ion channels and gap junctions, are present across all tissues. These bioelectrical networks process morphogenetic information that controls gene expression, enabling cell collectives to make decisions about large-scale growth and form. Recent progress in the analysis and computational modeling of developmental bioelectric circuits and channelopathies reveals how cellular collectives cooperate toward organ-level structural order. These advances suggest a roadmap for exploiting bioelectric signaling for interventions addressing developmental disorders, regenerative medicine, cancer reprogramming, and synthetic bioengineering.
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24
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Pezzulo G, LaPalme J, Durant F, Levin M. Bistability of somatic pattern memories: stochastic outcomes in bioelectric circuits underlying regeneration. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190765. [PMID: 33550952 PMCID: PMC7935058 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems' computational abilities are an evolutionary innovation, specializing and speed-optimizing ancient biophysical dynamics. Bioelectric signalling originated in cells' communication with the outside world and with each other, enabling cooperation towards adaptive construction and repair of multicellular bodies. Here, we review the emerging field of developmental bioelectricity, which links the field of basal cognition to state-of-the-art questions in regenerative medicine, synthetic bioengineering and even artificial intelligence. One of the predictions of this view is that regeneration and regulative development can restore correct large-scale anatomies from diverse starting states because, like the brain, they exploit bioelectric encoding of distributed goal states-in this case, pattern memories. We propose a new interpretation of recent stochastic regenerative phenotypes in planaria, by appealing to computational models of memory representation and processing in the brain. Moreover, we discuss novel findings showing that bioelectric changes induced in planaria can be stored in tissue for over a week, thus revealing that somatic bioelectric circuits in vivo can implement a long-term, re-writable memory medium. A consideration of the mechanisms, evolution and functionality of basal cognition makes novel predictions and provides an integrative perspective on the evolution, physiology and biomedicine of information processing in vivo. This article is part of the theme issue 'Basal cognition: multicellularity, neurons and the cognitive lens'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Pezzulo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Joshua LaPalme
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Fallon Durant
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
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25
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Li M, Wang X, Rajagopalan P, Zhang L, Zhan S, Huang S, Li W, Zeng X, Ye Q, Liu Y, Zhong K, Kim JM, Luo J, Dong S, Gu R, Wang X, Tan WQ. Toward Controlled Electrical Stimulation for Wound Healing Based on a Precision Layered Skin Model. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2020; 3:8901-8910. [DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c01190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Menglu Li
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Xiaofeng Wang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 East Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang Province PR China
| | - Pandey Rajagopalan
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Shijie Zhan
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
| | - Shuyi Huang
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Wei Li
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Xiangyu Zeng
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Qikai Ye
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yulu Liu
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Kai Zhong
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jong Min Kim
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
| | - Jikui Luo
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Shurong Dong
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Rongcheng Gu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Xiaozhi Wang
- Key Lab. of Advanced Micro/Nano Electronic Devices & Smart Systems of Zhejiang, College of ISEE, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Wei-Qiang Tan
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 3 East Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310016, Zhejiang Province PR China
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26
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Life, death, and self: Fundamental questions of primitive cognition viewed through the lens of body plasticity and synthetic organisms. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 564:114-133. [PMID: 33162026 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.10.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Central to the study of cognition is being able to specify the Subject that is making decisions and owning memories and preferences. However, all real cognitive agents are made of parts (such as brains made of cells). The integration of many active subunits into a coherent Self appearing at a larger scale of organization is one of the fundamental questions of evolutionary cognitive science. Typical biological model systems, whether basal or advanced, have a static anatomical structure which obscures important aspects of the mind-body relationship. Recent advances in bioengineering now make it possible to assemble, disassemble, and recombine biological structures at the cell, organ, and whole organism levels. Regenerative biology and controlled chimerism reveal that studies of cognition in intact, "standard", evolved animal bodies are just a narrow slice of a much bigger and as-yet largely unexplored reality: the incredible plasticity of dynamic morphogenesis of biological forms that house and support diverse types of cognition. The ability to produce living organisms in novel configurations makes clear that traditional concepts, such as body, organism, genetic lineage, death, and memory are not as well-defined as commonly thought, and need considerable revision to account for the possible spectrum of living entities. Here, I review fascinating examples of experimental biology illustrating that the boundaries demarcating somatic and cognitive Selves are fluid, providing an opportunity to sharpen inquiries about how evolution exploits physical forces for multi-scale cognition. Developmental (pre-neural) bioelectricity contributes a novel perspective on how the dynamic control of growth and form of the body evolved into sophisticated cognitive capabilities. Most importantly, the development of functional biobots - synthetic living machines with behavioral capacity - provides a roadmap for greatly expanding our understanding of the origin and capacities of cognition in all of its possible material implementations, especially those that emerge de novo, with no lengthy evolutionary history of matching behavioral programs to bodyplan. Viewing fundamental questions through the lens of new, constructed living forms will have diverse impacts, not only in basic evolutionary biology and cognitive science, but also in regenerative medicine of the brain and in artificial intelligence.
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27
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Cervera J, Ramirez P, Levin M, Mafe S. Community effects allow bioelectrical reprogramming of cell membrane potentials in multicellular aggregates: Model simulations. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:052412. [PMID: 33327213 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.052412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Bioelectrical patterns are established by spatiotemporal correlations of cell membrane potentials at the multicellular level, being crucial to development, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. We have conducted multicellular simulations on bioelectrical community effects and intercellular coupling in multicellular aggregates. The simulations aim at establishing under which conditions a local heterogeneity consisting of a small patch of cells can be stabilized against a large aggregate of surrounding identical cells which are in a different bioelectrical state. In this way, instructive bioelectrical information can be persistently encoded in spatiotemporal patterns of separated domains with different cell polarization states. The multicellular community effects obtained are regulated both at the single-cell and intercellular levels, and emerge from a delicate balance between the degrees of intercellular coupling in: (i) the small patch, (ii) the surrounding bulk, and (iii) the interface that separates these two regions. The model is experimentally motivated and consists of two generic voltage-gated ion channels that attempt to establish the depolarized and polarized cell states together with coupling conductances whose individual and intercellular different states permit a dynamic multicellular connectivity. The simulations suggest that community effects may allow the reprogramming of single-cell bioelectrical states, in agreement with recent experimental data. A better understanding of the resulting electrical regionalization can assist the electroceutical correction of abnormally depolarized regions initiated in the bulk of normal tissues as well as suggest new biophysical mechanisms for the establishment of target patterns in multicellular engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Cervera
- Departamento Termodinàmica, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Patricio Ramirez
- Departamento Física Aplicada, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, E-46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology and Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155-4243, USA
| | - Salvador Mafe
- Departamento Termodinàmica, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
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Pai VP, Cervera J, Mafe S, Willocq V, Lederer EK, Levin M. HCN2 Channel-Induced Rescue of Brain Teratogenesis via Local and Long-Range Bioelectric Repair. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:136. [PMID: 32528251 PMCID: PMC7264377 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic exposure to the teratogen nicotine results in brain defects, by disrupting endogenous spatial pre patterns necessary for normal brain size and patterning. Extending prior work in Xenopus laevis that showed that misexpression of ion channels can rescue morphogenesis, we demonstrate and characterize a novel aspect of developmental bioelectricity: channel-dependent repair signals propagate long-range across the embryo. We show that distal HCN2 channel misexpression and distal transplants of HCN2-expressing tissue, non-cell-autonomously reverse profound defects, rescuing brain anatomy, gene expression, and learning. Moreover, such rescue can be induced by small-molecule HCN2 channel activators, even with delayed treatment initiation. We present a simple, versatile computational model of bioelectrical signaling upstream of key patterning genes such as OTX2 and XBF1, which predicts long-range repair induced by ion channel activity, and experimentally validate the predictions of this model. Our results and quantitative model identify a powerful morphogenetic control mechanism that could be targeted by future regenerative medicine exploiting ion channel modulating drugs approved for human use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhav P Pai
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - Javier Cervera
- Departament de Termodinamica, Facultat de Fisica, Universitat de Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Salvador Mafe
- Departament de Termodinamica, Facultat de Fisica, Universitat de Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Valerie Willocq
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - Emma K Lederer
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
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Cervera J, Levin M, Mafe S. Bioelectrical Coupling of Single-Cell States in Multicellular Systems. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:3234-3241. [PMID: 32243754 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c00641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal distributions of signaling ions and molecules that modulate biochemical pathways in nonexcitable cells are influenced by multicellular electric potentials. These potentials act as distributed controllers encoding instructive spatial patterns in development and regeneration. We review experimental facts and discuss recent bioelectrical models that provide new physical insights and complement biochemical approaches. Single-cell states are modulated at the multicellular level because of the coupling between neighboring cells, thus allowing memories and multicellular patterns. The model is based on (i) two generic voltage-gated ion channels that promote the polarized and depolarized cell states, (ii) a feedback mechanism for the transcriptional and bioelectrical regulations, and (iii) voltage-gated intercellular conductances that allow a dynamic intercellular connectivity. The simulations provide steady-state and oscillatory multicellular states that help explain aspects of development and guide experimental procedures attempting to establish instructive bioelectrical patterns based on electric potentials and currents to regulate cell behavior and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Cervera
- Dept. Termodinàmica, Facultat de Física, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Michael Levin
- Dept. of Biology and Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155-4243, United States
| | - Salvador Mafe
- Dept. Termodinàmica, Facultat de Física, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
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