title: Memristors in the electrical network of Aloe vera L.
abstract: A memristor is a resistor with memory, which is a non-linear passive two-terminal electrical element relating magnetic flux linkage and electrical charge. Here we found that memristors exist in vivo. The electrostimulation of the Aloe vera by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induce electrical responses with fingerprints of memristors. Uncouplers carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone and carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone decrease the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar periodic sinusoidal or triangle electrostimulating waves. Memristive behavior of an electrical network in the Aloe vera is linked to the properties of voltage gated ion channels: the K(+) channel blocker TEACl reduces the electric response to a conventional resistor. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K(+) channel in the excitable tissue of plants has properties of a memristor. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the modeling and understanding of electrical phenomena in plants.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Oakwood University; Huntsville, AL USA.
authors.forename: Alexander G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Volkov
authors.forename: Jada
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reedus
authors.forename: Colee M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Clayton
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tucket
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Forde-Tuckett
authors.forename: Maya I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Volkova
authors.forename: Vladislav S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Markin
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chua
mesh_terms: D000504:Aloe / Q000502:physiology*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004560:Electricity; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000502:physiology*; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated
keywords: Aloe vera; CAM plant; Electrostimulation; Memristor; Plant electrophysiology