Mechano-electrical vibrations of microtubules—Link to subcellular morphology

Kučera, Ondřej; Havelka, Daniel

doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2012.04.009

Cited by 44 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…MTs should be able to vibrate at their natural frequency according to these studies. In combination with their electrical properties, basic electrodynamic models of MTs have been recently introduced [31]–[34]. These models have enabled the calculation of spatial distribution and time evolution of high-frequency electric fields generated by the single vibration mode of microtubule and MT networks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electro-Acoustic Behavior of the Mitotic Spindle: A Semi-Classical Coarse-Grained Model

et al. 2014

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The regulation of chromosome separation during mitosis is not fully understood yet. Microtubules forming mitotic spindles are targets of treatment strategies which are aimed at (i) the triggering of the apoptosis or (ii) the interruption of uncontrolled cell division. Despite these facts, only few physical models relating to the dynamics of mitotic spindles exist up to now. In this paper, we present the first electromechanical model which enables calculation of the electromagnetic field coupled to acoustic vibrations of the mitotic spindle. This electromagnetic field originates from the electrical polarity of microtubules which form the mitotic spindle. The model is based on the approximation of resonantly vibrating microtubules by a network of oscillating electric dipoles. Our computational results predict the existence of a rapidly changing electric field which is generated by either driven or endogenous vibrations of the mitotic spindle. For certain values of parameters, the intensity of the electric field and its gradient reach values which may exert a not-inconsiderable force on chromosomes which are aligned in the spindle midzone. Our model may describe possible mechanisms of the effects of ultra-short electrical and mechanical pulses on dividing cells—a strategy used in novel methods for cancer treatment.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electro-Acoustic Behavior of the Mitotic Spindle: A Semi-Classical Coarse-Grained Model

et al. 2014

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“…AFs and MTs have been implicated in facilitating numerous electrical processes involving ionic and electronic conduction [60,61] and have been theorized to support dipolar and/or ionic kink-like soliton waves traveling at speeds in the 2–100 m/s range [14,62]. Due to strong coupling between electrical and mechanical degrees of freedom in proteins, mechano-electric vibrations of MTs have been modeled both analytically and computationally [63,64]. Electric fields generated by MTs have been modeled extensively and reviewed recently [65,66,67], although experimental measurement of these fields remains extremely difficult, especially in a live cellular environment.…”

Section: Subcellular Electrical Conduction and Electrostaticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of Sub-Cellular Mechanisms Involved in the Action of TTFields

Tuszyński

Wenger

Friesen

et al. 2016

IJERPH

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Long-standing research on electric and electromagnetic field interactions with biological cells and their subcellular structures has mainly focused on the low- and high-frequency regimes. Biological effects at intermediate frequencies between 100 and 300 kHz have been recently discovered and applied to cancer cells as a therapeutic modality called Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields). TTFields are clinically applied to disrupt cell division, primarily for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In this review, we provide an assessment of possible physical interactions between 100 kHz range alternating electric fields and biological cells in general and their nano-scale subcellular structures in particular. This is intended to mechanistically elucidate the observed strong disruptive effects in cancer cells. Computational models of isolated cells subject to TTFields predict that for intermediate frequencies the intracellular electric field strength significantly increases and that peak dielectrophoretic forces develop in dividing cells. These findings are in agreement with in vitro observations of TTFields’ disruptive effects on cellular function. We conclude that the most likely candidates to provide a quantitative explanation of these effects are ionic condensation waves around microtubules as well as dielectrophoretic effects on the dipole moments of microtubules. A less likely possibility is the involvement of actin filaments or ion channels.

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“…The mechanism by which modal and sub-modal codes produce the reported major effects in the post-synaptic neurons that they impinge on is currently unknown. However, it may be noteworthy that electrical fields produced by the synchronized oscillation of microtubules play a role in morphogenesis during mitosis and meiosis (Kučera and Havelka, 2012;Zhao and Zhan, 2012). This involves alterations in the cell's microstructure.…”

Section: The Relevance Of Information From Cortical Deafferentation Ementioning

confidence: 99%