6533b835fe1ef96bd129f3e8

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Polarity and bioelectrical patterning in a linear chain of non-excitable cells

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Abstract Polarity in multicellular systems is influenced by bioelectrical signals because electric potentials can act as spatio-temporal patterns for other biochemical processes that eventually emerge as long-lasting biological outcomes. We study the role of the electric potential in establishing head-tail polarity for the case of a chain of non-excitable cells. This biophysical model incorporates both single-cell (membrane ion channels) and multicellular (intercellular gap junctions) characteristics. The results are presented in the form of a bioelectrical phase space that complements traditional biochemical approaches and provides qualitative insights for the case of anterior/posterior polarity in biological model systems. In particular, we show that simple bioelectric circuits can exhibit complex multicellular patterning, suggesting strategies to establish axial polarity in synthetic biology and regeneration.