title: Toward a Minimal Artificial Axon.
abstract: The electrophysiology of action potentials is usually studied in neurons, through relatively demanding experiments which are difficult to scale up to a defined network. Here we pursue instead the minimal artificial system based on the essential biological components-ion channels and lipid bilayers-where action potentials can be generated, propagated, and eventually networked. The fundamental unit is the classic supported bilayer: a planar bilayer patch with embedded ion channels in a fluidic environment where an ionic gradient is imposed across the bilayer. Two such units electrically connected form the basic building block for a network. The system is minimal in that we demonstrate that one kind of ion channel and correspondingly a gradient of only one ionic species is sufficient to generate an excitable system which shows amplification and threshold behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, California 90095-1547, United States.
authors.forename: Amila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ariyaratne
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, California 90095-1547, United States.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zocchi
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D007477:Ions / Q000378:metabolism; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D007477:Ions; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010743:Phospholipids; D011188:Potassium