title: Memristors: Memory elements in potato tubers.
abstract: A memristor is a nonlinear element because its current-voltage characteristic is similar to that of a Lissajous pattern for nonlinear systems. This element was postulated recently and researchers are looking for it in different biosystems. We investigated electrical circuitry of red Irish potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.). The goal was to discover if potato tubers might have a new electrical component - a resistor with memory. The analysis was based on a cyclic current-voltage characteristic where the resistor with memory should manifest itself. We found that the electrostimulation by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induces electrical responses in the potato tubers with fingerprints of memristors. Tetraethylammonium chloride, an inhibitor of voltage gated K(+) channels, transforms a memristor to a resistor in potato tubers. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K(+) channel in the excitable tissue of potato tubers has properties of a memristor. Uncoupler carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone decreases the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar periodic sinusoidal or triangle electrostimulating waves. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the understanding of electrical phenomena in plants.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemistry ; Oakwood University ; Huntsville , AL USA.
authors.forename: Alexander G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Volkov
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemistry ; Oakwood University ; Huntsville , AL USA.
authors.forename: Eunice K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Nyasani
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemistry ; Oakwood University ; Huntsville , AL USA.
authors.forename: Avery L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Blockmon
authors.affiliation: a Department of Chemistry ; Oakwood University ; Huntsville , AL USA.
authors.forename: Maya I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Volkova
mesh_terms: D002258:Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004560:Electricity; D008568:Memory; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D035281:Plant Tubers / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000378:metabolism*; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D019789:Tetraethylammonium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; C108897:carbonylcyanide 4-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone; D002258:Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone; D019789:Tetraethylammonium
keywords: Solanum tuberosum L; circular voltammetry; memory; memristor; plant electrophysiology; potato tuber