dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaA Bio-Polymer Transistor: Electrical Amplification by Microtubules
| Authors | Avner Priel, Arnolt J. Ramos, Jack A. Tuszynski, Horacio F. Cantiello |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0606009 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0606009 |
| DOI | 10.1529/biophysj.105.078915 |
| Journal | Biophys. J. 2006 90: 4639-4643 |
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) are important cytoskeletal structures, engaged in a number of specific cellular activities, including vesicular traffic, cell cyto-architecture and motility, cell division, and information processing within neuronal processes. MTs have also been implicated in higher neuronal functions, including memory, and the emergence of "consciousness". How MTs handle and process electrical information, however, is heretofore unknown. Here we show new electrodynamic properties of MTs. Isolated, taxol-stabilized microtubules behave as bio-molecular transistors capable of amplifying electrical information. Electrical amplification by MTs can lead to the enhancement of dynamic information, and processivity in neurons can be conceptualized as an "ionic-based" transistor, which may impact among other known functions, neuronal computational capabilities.
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"abstract": "Microtubules (MTs) are important cytoskeletal structures, engaged in a number\nof specific cellular activities, including vesicular traffic, cell\ncyto-architecture and motility, cell division, and information processing\nwithin neuronal processes. MTs have also been implicated in higher neuronal\nfunctions, including memory, and the emergence of \"consciousness\". How MTs\nhandle and process electrical information, however, is heretofore unknown. Here\nwe show new electrodynamic properties of MTs. Isolated, taxol-stabilized\nmicrotubules behave as bio-molecular transistors capable of amplifying\nelectrical information. Electrical amplification by MTs can lead to the\nenhancement of dynamic information, and processivity in neurons can be\nconceptualized as an \"ionic-based\" transistor, which may impact among other\nknown functions, neuronal computational capabilities.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0606009",
"authors": [
"Avner Priel",
"Arnolt J. Ramos",
"Jack A. Tuszynski",
"Horacio F. Cantiello"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.SC",
"q-bio.BM"
],
"doi": "10.1529/biophysj.105.078915",
"journal_ref": "Biophys. J. 2006 90: 4639-4643",
"title": "A Bio-Polymer Transistor: Electrical Amplification by Microtubules",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0606009"
},
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