The significance of bioelectricity on all levels of organization of an organism. Part 1: From the subcellular level to cells

Funk, Richard; Scholkmann, Felix

doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2022.12.002

Cited by 19 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 214 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…2 Bioelectricity as the software of life 2.1 Developmental bioelectricity: definitions Developmental bioelectricity refers to signaling among non-excitable cells mediated by endogenous electric fields and differences in resting potential [92,152]. These electric states arise due to specific ion channels and pump proteins, which uphold voltage gradients across the cell membrane.…”

Section: The Challenges Of Next-generation Aging Biomedicinementioning

confidence: 99%

Aging as a morphostasis defect: a developmental bioelectricity perspective

Pio-Lopez¹,

Levin²

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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. We argue here that the most consistent and pervasive result of these failures is aging, which is characterized by the progressive loss of function and decline in the abilityn 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 accumulation of molecular and cellular damage resulting from energy metabolism and mitochondrial function, and that cell growth and lifespan are limited by replicative senescence due to shortening of telomeres. In this article, we propose a complementary view of aging as a morphostasis defect, specifically driven by abrogation of the endogenous bioelectric signaling that normally harness individual cell behaviors toward the creation and upkeep of complex multicellular structures in vivo. We first present bioelectricity as the software of life, then in a second part we identify and discuss the links between bioelectricity and rejuvenation strategies and age-related diseases, and develop a bridge between aging and regeneration via bioelectric signaling that suggests a research program for addressing aging. In a third part, we discuss the broader implications of the homologies between development, aging, cancer and regeneration. In a fourth part, we present the morphoceuticals for aging and we conclude.

show abstract

Section: The Challenges Of Next-generation Aging Biomedicinementioning

confidence: 99%

Aging as a morphostasis defect: a developmental bioelectricity perspective

Pio-Lopez¹,

Levin²

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While long believed to be constant in time and space along the membrane, there is growing evidence pointing toward a rich spatiotemporal dynamical behavior of the PMF, although the biologically functional consequences remain poorly understood ( 2 , 3 ). The pioneering work performed in the 1980s by Skulachev and colleagues described long distance transmission of membrane voltage both in large multicellular populations of filamentous cyanobacteria and mitochondrial networks ( 4 , 5 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal dynamics of the proton motive force on single bacterial cells

Biquet-Bisquert,

Carrio,

Meyer

et al. 2024

Sci. Adv.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Electrochemical gradients across biological membranes are vital for cellular bioenergetics. In bacteria, the proton motive force (PMF) drives essential processes like adenosine triphosphate production and motility. Traditionally viewed as temporally and spatially stable, recent research reveals a dynamic PMF behavior at both single-cell and community levels. Moreover, the observed lateral segregation of respiratory complexes could suggest a spatial heterogeneity of the PMF. Using a light-activated proton pump and detecting the activity of the bacterial flagellar motor, we perturb and probe the PMF of single cells. Spatially homogeneous PMF perturbations reveal millisecond-scale temporal dynamics and an asymmetrical capacitive response. Localized perturbations show a rapid lateral PMF homogenization, faster than proton diffusion, akin to the electrotonic potential spread observed in passive neurons, explained by cable theory. These observations imply a global coupling between PMF sources and consumers along the membrane, precluding sustained PMF spatial heterogeneity but allowing for rapid temporal changes.

show abstract

“…All cells, not just neurons, communicate electrically, using ion channels and electrical synapses known as gap junctions to establish spatio-temporal patterns of resting potential and ion flow within tissues (Harris 2021;Funk and Scholkmann 2023). These gradients underlie the collective anatomical decision-making of organs and tissues, being central regulators of growth and form during regeneration and development (Levin 2021a) -two processes of central relevance to cancer (Wolsky 1978;Pierce 1983;Pierce et al 1986;Brockes 1998;Oviedo and Beane 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioelectric Pharmacology of Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Ion Channel Drugs Affecting the Cancer Phenotype

Kofman,

Levin

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cancer is a pernicious and pressing medical problem; moreover, it is a failure of multicellular morphogenesis that sheds much light on evolutionary developmental biology. Numerous classes of pharmacological agents have been considered as cancer therapeutics and evaluated as potential carcinogenic agents. Here, we briefly review recent work on ion channel drugs as promising anti-cancer treatments and present a meta-analysis of the cancer-relevant effects of 109 drugs targeting ion channels. The roles of ion channels in cancer are consistent with the importance of bioelectrical parameters in cell regulation and with the functions of bioelectric signaling in morphogenetic signals that act as cancer suppressors. We find that compounds that are well-known for having targets in the nervous system, such as voltage-gated ion channels, ligand-gated ion channels, proton pumps, and gap junctions are especially relevant to cancer. Our analysis suggests further opportunities for the repurposing of numerous promising candidates in the field of cancer electroceuticals.

show abstract

The significance of bioelectricity on all levels of organization of an organism. Part 1: From the subcellular level to cells

Cited by 19 publications

References 214 publications

Aging as a morphostasis defect: a developmental bioelectricity perspective

Aging as a morphostasis defect: a developmental bioelectricity perspective

Spatiotemporal dynamics of the proton motive force on single bacterial cells

Bioelectric Pharmacology of Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Ion Channel Drugs Affecting the Cancer Phenotype

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About