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The role of passive calcium influx through the cell membrane in galvanotaxis

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters volume 18, pages 187–199 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Passive calcium influx is one of the theories to explain the cathodal galvanotaxis of cells that utilize the electric field to guide their motion. When exposed to an electric field, the intracellular fluid becomes polarized, leading to positive charge accumulation on the cathodal side and negative charge accumulation on the anodal side. The negative charge on the anodal side attracts extracellular calcium ions, increasing the anodal calcium concentration, which is supposed to decrease the mobile properties of this side. Unfortunately, this model does not capture the Ca2+ dynamics after its presentation to the intracellular fluid. The ions cannot permanently accumulate on the anodal side because that would build a potential drop across the cytoplasm leading to an ionic current, which would carry positive ions (not only Ca2+) from the anodal to the cathodal part through the cytoplasm. If the cytoplasmic conductance for Ca2+ is low enough compared to the membrane conductance, the theory could correctly predict the actual behavior. If the ions move through the cytoplasm at a faster rate, compensating for the passive influx, this theory may fail. This paper contains a discussion of the regimes of validity for this theory.

Abbreviations

PMCA:

plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase

PNP equation:

Poisson-Nernst-Planck equation

SERCA:

sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase

TRPC:

transient receptor potential cation channels

VGCC:

voltage-gated calcium channel

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  1. Department of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, ks. M. Strzody 9, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland

    Przemysław Borys

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Borys, P. The role of passive calcium influx through the cell membrane in galvanotaxis. Cell Mol Biol Lett 18, 187–199 (2013). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11658-013-0082-3

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Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters

ISSN: 1689-1392

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