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Communication in Plants: Comparison of Multiple Action Potential and Mechanosensitive Signals With Experiments
IEEE Transactions on Nanobioscience
|November 6, 2019
Summary
Plant cells communicate using action potentials and mechanosensitive signals. Information transfer increases with cell numbers up to 10-12, then decreases, suggesting an optimal range for signal processing.
Area of Science:
- Plant signaling and communication
- Information theory in biology
- Bio-electrical signaling in plants
Background:
- Plants utilize action potentials and mechanosensitive signals for intercellular communication.
- Understanding the efficiency of signal propagation in plant cell chains is crucial for deciphering plant responses.
- Information theory provides a framework to quantify signal transmission in biological systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effective range of multiple action potentials and mechanosensitive signals in plant cell chains using an information-theoretic approach.
- To determine how mutual information per cell and information propagation speed change with the number of receiver cells.
- To experimentally validate theoretical models of plant signal transmission.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an information-theoretic framework to model signal propagation in long cell chains (up to 100 cells).
- Simulated the effects of multiple action potentials and mechanosensitive activation signals.
- Employed a PhytlSigns biosignal amplifier for experimental verification of theoretical models.
- Measured voltage magnitudes of induced signals and calculated mutual information and propagation speed.
Main Results:
- Mutual information per cell and information propagation speed initially increase with the number of receiver cells.
- A decrease in mutual information per cell was observed beyond 10-12 receiver cells, indicating an optimal range.
- Experimental data closely matched numerical results, validating the theoretical model.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals an optimal range for action potential and mechanosensitive signal communication in plants, typically involving 10-12 cells.
- Understanding these signaling dynamics can inform bioengineering strategies for plant applications.
- The findings provide quantitative insights into the efficiency of information processing in plant communication networks.
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