Cytoskeletal logic: a model for molecular computation via Boolean operations in microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins

Lahoz-Beltrá, Rafael; Hameroff, Stuart R.; Dayhoff, Judith E.

doi:10.1016/0303-2647(93)90078-q

Cited by 50 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…spin-particles e.g., electrons , the possible sys-2 tem configurations would significantly exceed those of classical digital computers. Since each token is in linear superposition of, for example, spin-up and spin-down states, 1 electron and 4 nearest neighbors could exist in 2 5 configurations at one step of a computation. In general, an array of n quantum tokens can exist in any state of the form…”

Section: Linear Superposition Permits Massive Parallelismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a charge-transfer model of neuromolecular computing

Wallace

Price

Breitbeil

1998

Int. J. Quant. Chem.

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A computational model of charge transfer through an associated polyenic system is presented. This model is based on proposed transient alignment of adjacent ethylenes of phospholipid diacyls in the neural membrane. Influx of anions and cations into the cytosol at ; 10 8 ionsrs at ligand-gated channels hypothetically establishes the conditions for charge transfer through adjacent diacyl ethylenes. It is suggested that this process produces interactions between phospholipid potential energy hypersurfaces.Ž . These interactions operating in many-dimensional Hilbert space represent a form of massively parallel computation. Basic theoretical principles of quantum computing relevant to the present model are briefly discussed. A preliminary computational model of charge transfer through stacked ethylenes is then presented. In this model molecules were aligned with planes parallel and perpendicular. Singly charged counterions were positioned at the ends of the stacks and ab initio Hartree᎐Fock calculations at the Ž . 6-31 q G d, p level were carried out. Degree of charge transfer between counterions was monitored by Mulliken population analysis from which atomic charges and dipole moments were calculated. The results of these calculations are interpreted in a larger neurobiological context. Models are proposed which relate the charge-transfer process to Ž . ion channel dynamics openrclosed , changes in membrane potential, and macroscopic memory systems. A hypothetical feedback circuitry which could regulate membrane potential and prevent recurrent excitation or hyperpolarization is described. Potential tests of the model utilizing photoinduced charge transfer through a polyenic molecular wire are proposed. It is concluded that this research could lead to a better understanding of computational processes in neurophysiology and cognition.

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Section: Linear Superposition Permits Massive Parallelismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a charge-transfer model of neuromolecular computing

Wallace

Price

Breitbeil

1998

Int. J. Quant. Chem.

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“…The forms of information it may transmit include electrical potential, mechanical force, quantum events, propagating waves of protein conformational changes, facilitated chemical transport and biochemical signal transduction cascades. 24,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32] The cytoskeleton therefore represents an attractive model for describing data transmission within cells, as all of these signaling events may be interpreted as data being fed into a cellular computer. We are by no means the first to suggest this, but such a topic has not been previously described in slime mold models.…”

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confidence: 99%

On the role of the plasmodial cytoskeleton in facilitating intelligent behavior in slime mold Physarum polycephalum

Mayne

Adamatzky

Jones

2015

Communicative & Integrative Biology

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The plasmodium of slime mold Physarum polycephalum behaves as an amorphous reaction-diffusion computing substrate and is capable of apparently 'intelligent' behavior. But how does intelligence emerge in an acellular organism? Through a range of laboratory experiments, we visualize the plasmodial cytoskeleton-a ubiquitous cellular protein scaffold whose functions are manifold and essential to life-and discuss its putative role as a network for transducing, transmitting and structuring data streams within the plasmodium. Through a range of computer modeling techniques, we demonstrate how emergent behavior, and hence computational intelligence, may occur in cytoskeletal communications networks. Specifically, we model the topology of both the actin and tubulin cytoskeletal networks and discuss how computation may occur therein. Furthermore, we present bespoke cellular automata and particle swarm models for the computational process within the cytoskeleton and observe the incidence of emergent patterns in both. Our work grants unique insight into the origins of natural intelligence; the results presented here are therefore readily transferable to the fields of natural computation, cell biology and biomedical science. We conclude by discussing how our results may alter our biological, computational and philosophical understanding of intelligence and consciousness.

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“…One possibility is that signals are transmitted from the irradiated kinetochore to the pole along kinetochore fibers and from the pole along kinetochore fibers to other kinetochores, and from there across the interzone. An alternative is that the spindle components themselves contain information that acts as a ''stop'' signal; it could be, e.g., that the kinetochore microtubules themselves contain information in digital form [Hameroff et al, 1986;Lahoz-Beltra et al, 1993;Albrecht-Buehler, 1990] and that the signal is not a chemical change but a structural one. In considering structural elements that might contain global information, one might also consider the spindle matrix, which might act as a ''tensegral'' network [Pickett-Heaps et al, 1996] to provide stopmovement signals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%