Sharp, localized phase transitions in single neuronal cells.

ABSTRACT: The origin of nonlinear responses in cells has been suggested to be crucial for various cell functions including the propagation of the nervous impulse. In physics, nonlinear behavior often originates from phase transitions. Evidence for such transitions on the single-cell level, however, has so far not been provided, leaving the field unattended by the biological community. Here, we demonstrate that single cells of a human neuronal cell line display all optical features of a sharp, highly nonlinear phase transition within their membrane. The transition is reversible and does not originate from protein denaturation. Triggered by temperature and modified by pH here, a thermodynamic approach strongly suggests that similar nonlinear state changes can be induced by other variables such as calc

SUBMITTER: Fedosejevs CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8872731 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature