An improved nanoscale transmission line model of microtubule: The effect of nonlinearity on the propagation of electrical signals

Abstract

In what manner the microtubules, cytoskeletal nanotubes, handle and process electrical signals is still uncompleted puzzle. These bio-macromolecules have highly charged surfaces that enable them to conduct electric signals. In the context of electrodynamic properties of microtubule, the paper proposes an improved electrical model for divalent ions (Ca2+ and Mg2+) based on the cylindrical structure of microtubule with nano-pores in its wall. Relying on our earlier ideas, we represent this protein-based nanotube with the surrounding ions as biomolecular nonlinear transmission line with corresponding nanoscale electric elements in it. One of the key aspects is the nonlinearity of associated capacitance due to the effect of shrinking/stretching and oscillation of C-terminal tails. Accordingly, a characteristic voltage equation of electrical model of microtubule and influence of capacitance nonlinearity on the propagation of electrical pulses are numerically analyzed here.