Endogenous Bioelectric Signaling Networks: Exploiting Voltage Gradients for Control of Growth and Form

Abstract

Living systems exhibit remarkable abilities to self-assemble, regenerate, and remodel complex shapes. How cellular networks construct and repair specific anatomical outcomes is an open question at the heart of the next-generation science of bioengineering. Developmental bioelectricity is an exciting emerging discipline that exploits endogenous bioelectric signaling among many cell types to regulate pattern formation. We provide a brief overview of this field, review recent data in which bioelectricity is used to control patterning in a range of model systems, and describe the molecular tools being used to probe the role of bioelectrics in the dynamic control of complex anatomy. We suggest that quantitative strategies recently developed to infer semantic content and information processing from ionic activity in the brain might provide important clues to cracking the bioelectric code. Gaining control of the mechanisms by which large-scale shape is regulated in vivo will drive transformative advances in bioengineering, regenerative medicine, and synthetic morphology, and could be used to therapeutically address birth defects, traumatic injury, and cancer.

HydraRegeneration: Closing the Loop with Mechanical Processes in Morphogenesis

“…In this perspective, we focus on closing the loop with mechanical processes. Similar ideas apply to electrical processes . There are several known transduction processes that can couple mechanical and electrical processes to each other and to other biochemical processes.…”

“…Similar ideas apply to electrical processes. [30,31,88,89] There are several known transduction processes that can couple mechanical and electrical processes to each other and to other biochemical processes. Examples of known mediators, include myosin expression levels [90,91] and calcium, which is known to affect multiple processes and can play an important role in coupling electrical activity, mechanical processes, and biosignaling.…”

Mitochondrial synapses: intracellular communication and signal integration

“…A central role of communication within biology in general and neuroscience in particular is the coordination of elements within the organism as a whole -from genes to organs [61,62]. In accordance with this principle, mitochondria regulate functions across organizational levels.…”

Defined extracellular ionic solutions to study and manipulate the cellular resting membrane potential

“…Traditionally, measurement of membrane voltage has been confined to the study of fast fluctuations in excitable cells; however, the slow fluctuation of membrane voltage also play many crucial roles in non-excitable cells (Levin, 2014, Levin et al, 2017. The RMP, partially captured by the voltage Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation, is a function (among other parameters) of the uneven distribution and permeability of ions across the plasma membrane.…”