ABSTRACT
Streaming potential is one of the numerous electrokinetic phenomena created when an electrolyte flows along a charged surface. In membranes, applying the charged cylindrical pore model, streaming potential can be used to estimate, e.g., the pore size and the charge density of such pores. In this study, we are extending streaming potential experiments to ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) and trying to verify the existing models with the measurements. According to the Donnan equilibrium between an electrolyte solution and an IEM, the solution concentration should not affect the streaming potential if the membrane charge is even moderately low. Yet, the streaming potential varied substantially with the solution concentration, as in the case of nearly neutral porous membranes. In addition, the existing theory does not include the membrane thickness, but we found that thinner membranes showed larger streaming potentials. These dilemmas are discussed in this paper.
ABSTRACT
Biological networks use collective oscillations for information processing tasks. In particular, oscillatory membrane potentials have been observed in nonexcitable cells and bacterial communities where specific ion channel proteins contribute to the bioelectric coordination of large populations. We aim at describing theoretically the oscillatory spatiotemporal patterns that emerge at the multicellular level from the single-cell bioelectric dynamics. To this end, we focus on two key questions: (i) What single-cell properties are relevant to multicellular behavior? (ii) What properties defined at the multicellular level can allow an external control of the bioelectric dynamics? In particular, we explore the interplay between transcriptional and translational dynamics and membrane potential dynamics in a model multicellular ensemble, describe the spatiotemporal patterns that arise when the average electric potential allows groups of cells to act as a coordinated multicellular patch, and characterize the resulting synchronization phenomena. The simulations concern bioelectric networks and collective communication across different scales based on oscillatory and synchronization phenomena, thus shedding light on the physiological dynamics of a wide range of endogenous contexts across embryogenesis and regeneration.
Subject(s)
Cells/cytology , Models, Biological , Physiological PhenomenaABSTRACT
We analyze the coupling of model nonexcitable (non-neural) cells assuming that the cell membrane potential is the basic individual property. We obtain this potential on the basis of the inward and outward rectifying voltage-gated channels characteristic of cell membranes. We concentrate on the electrical coupling of a cell ensemble rather than on the biochemical and mechanical characteristics of the individual cells, obtain the map of single cell potentials using simple assumptions, and suggest procedures to collectively modify this spatial map. The response of the cell ensemble to an external perturbation and the consequences of cell isolation, heterogeneity, and ensemble size are also analyzed. The results suggest that simple coupling mechanisms can be significant for the biophysical chemistry of model biomolecular ensembles. In particular, the spatiotemporal map of single cell potentials should be relevant for the uptake and distribution of charged nanoparticles over model cell ensembles and the collective properties of droplet networks incorporating protein ion channels inserted in lipid bilayers.
