Integration of intracellular signaling : biological analogues of wires, processors and memories organized by a centrosome 3D reference system

Abstract

Background: Myriads of signaling pathways in a single cell function to achieve the highest spatio-temporal integration. Data are accumulating on the role of electromechanical soliton-like waves in signal transduction processes. Theoretical studies strongly suggest feasibility of both classical and quantum computing involving microtubules.

Aim: A theoretical study of the role of the complex composed of the plasma membrane and the microtubule-based cytoskeleton as a system that transmits, stores and processes information.

Methods: Theoretical analysis presented here refers to (i) the Penrose–Hameroff theory of consciousness (Orchestrated Objective Reduction; Orch OR), (ii) the description of the centrosome as a reference system for construction of the 3D map of the cell proposed by Regolini, (iii) the Heimburg–Jackson model of the nerve pulse propagation along axons’ lipid bilayer as soliton-like electro-mechanical waves.

Results and conclusion: The ideas presented in this paper provide a qualitative model for the decision-making processes in a living cell undergoing a differentiation process.

Outlook: This paper paves the way for the real-time live-cell observation of information processing by microtubule-based cytoskeleton and cell fate decision making.