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Electric spiking activity in epithelial cells.

Sun-Min Yu1, Steve Granick1

  • 1Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|March 17, 2025
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Epithelial cells, typically non-excitable, generate traveling electric signals during wound healing. These bioelectric signals, similar to neuron action potentials, involve ion channel activity and regulate cell development.

Keywords:
bioelectricitycollective behaviorepithelial cellmultielectrode array chip

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular Electrophysiology
  • Wound Healing Biology
  • Bioelectric Signaling

Background:

  • Epithelial cells are traditionally considered electrically non-excitable.
  • Their primary roles include barrier function, absorption, secretion, and protection.
  • Previous research hypothesized bioelectric signaling regulates epithelial cell development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the electrical activity of epithelial cells during wound recovery.
  • To characterize the nature and propagation of bioelectric signals in wounded epithelial monolayers.
  • To explore the role of mechanosensitive ion channels in generating these signals.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing human keratinocytes and canine MDCK cells on multielectrode array chips.
  • Inducing spatially focused wounds using lasers.
  • Measuring extracellular voltage spikes and analyzing their propagation dynamics.

Main Results:

  • Epithelial cells exhibited traveling extracellular electric charge upon laser-induced wounding.
  • Measured voltage spikes showed depolarization, repolarization, and hyperpolarization phases.
  • Signals propagated up to hundreds of micrometers at approximately 10 mm/s, with durations of 1-2 seconds.

Conclusions:

  • Direct measurements confirm bioelectric signaling in epithelial cells during wound healing.
  • Mechanosensitive cationic ion channels are crucial for signal generation and transmission.
  • These findings support hypotheses on bioelectric regulation of epithelial development and have implications for bioelectric devices.