论文标题
单个神经元细胞中的尖锐的局部相变
Sharp, localized phase transitions in single neuronal cells
论文作者
论文摘要
已经建议细胞中非线性反应的起源对于各种细胞功能至关重要，包括神经脉冲的传播。在物理学中，非线性行为通常源自相变。然而，到目前为止，尚未提供有关单细胞水平上这种过渡的证据，使生物群落无人看管。在这里，我们证明了人类神经元细胞系的单个细胞，在其膜内显示出尖锐的高度非线性相变的所有光学特征。过渡是可逆的，不是蛋白质变性的来源。由温度触发并通过pH修饰，热力学方法强烈表明，类似的非线性状态变化可以由其他变量（例如钙或机械应力）诱导。至少在脂质膜中，这种状态变化伴随着渗透率，酶活性，弹性和电性能的显着变化。
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 origin 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 calcium or mechanical stress. At least in lipid membranes such state changes are accompanied by significant changes in permeability, enzyme activity, elastic and electrical properties.
