Biological signaling by interfacial sound pulses. A physics approach

2016/12/06 by Bernhard Fichtl, Fichtl, Bernhard, Matthias F. Schneider +1
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Physics and Astronomy · #Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1612.01718

openalex publication_date 2016/12/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Biological signaling is imagined as a combination of activation and transport. The former is triggered by local molecular interactions and the latter is the result of molecular diffusion. However, other fundamental physical principles of communication have yet to be addressed. We have recently shown, that lipid interfaces allow for the excitation and propagation of sound pulses. Here we demonstrate, that these reversible perturbations can control the activity of membrane embedded enzymes without the necessity of molecular transport. They therefore allow for the rapid communication between distant biological entities (e.g. receptor and enzyme) at the speed of sound, which is here in the order of 1 m/s within the membrane. The mechanism reported provides a new physical framework for biological signaling.

Citations

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