On the physical basis of biological signaling by interface pulses

TL;DR

This paper proposes that sound pulses in lipid interfaces can serve as a rapid, physical signaling mechanism in biological membranes, offering an alternative to traditional molecular diffusion-based communication.

Contribution

It introduces a novel physical mechanism for biological signaling via interface pulses, expanding the understanding beyond molecular interactions.

Findings

Lipid interfaces can support the excitation and propagation of sound pulses.

Sound pulses can control membrane enzyme activity without molecular transport.

Signal propagation speed is approximately 1 m/s within membranes.

Abstract

Currently, biological signaling is envisaged as a combination of activation and movement, triggered by local molecular interactions and molecular diffusion, respectively. However, we here suggest, that other fundamental physical mechanisms might play an at least equally important role. We have recently shown that lipid interfaces permit the excitation and propagation of sound pulses. Here we demonstrate that these reversible perturbations can control the activity of membrane-embedded enzymes without a requirement for molecular transport. They can thus facilitate rapid communication between distant biological entities at the speed of sound, which is here of the order of 1 m/s within the membrane. The mechanism described provides a new physical framework for biological signaling that is fundamentally different from the molecular approach that currently dominates the textbooks.