Newly discovered electrical activity within cells could change the way researchers think about biological chemistry. Duke University scientists have discovered electrical activity in cellular structures called biological condensates. This revolutionary finding could reshape our understanding of b
In a groundbreaking study, researchers have uncovered electrical activity in biological condensates, cellular structures that were previously not known to harbor such activity. Traditionally, scientists believed that electrical imbalances, crucial for biological processes, could only exist across cellular membranes.
The human body relies heavily on electrical charges. Lightning-like pulses of energy fly through the brain and nerves and most biological processes depend on electrical ions traveling across the membranes of each cell in our body. Inspired by previous research demonstrating that microdroplets of water interacting with air or solid surfaces create tiny electrical imbalances, the researchers decided to see if the same was true for small biological condensates. They also wanted to see if these imbalances sparked reactive oxygen, “redox,” reactions like these other systems.
“This discovery provides a plausible explanation of where the reaction energy could have come from, just as the potential energy that is imparted on a point charge placed in an electric field,” Dai said. Cells can build biological condensates to either separate or trap together certain proteins and molecules, either hindering or promoting their activity. Researchers are just beginning to understand how condensates work and what they could be used for.
“Most previous work on biomolecular condensates has focused on their innards,” Chilkoti said. “Yifan’s discovery that biomolecular condensates appear to be redox-active suggests that condensates did not simply evolve to carry out specific biological functions as is commonly understood, but that they are also endowed with a critical chemical function that is essential to cells.”
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