Bioelectricity in Morphogenesis

Abstract

Bioelectricity is likely as old as life itself. From the moment the first proto-cell was enclosed in a lipid bilayer, a membrane potential arose. Thus, one can expect that bioelectrical activities influence single-cell and collective cell behaviors in processes such as embryo development, tissue repair, and even disease. Despite the ubiquity of bioelectrical phenomena, most research has focused on bioelectrical control of neural tissues, and as a result, our knowledge of nonneural contexts remains comparatively less understood, scattered, and often misunderstood. Still, there are strong reasons for supporting the idea that bioelectricity contributes to diverse morphogenetic contexts. Thus, in this review we provide an overview of the current knowledge of how cells generate and perceive bioelectrical inputs, and discuss how cells translate these stimuli into responses that influence tissue morphogenesis in physiology and pathology.

Keywords: bioelectricity; electrotaxis; ion channels; ionic currents; membrane potential; surface charge; tissue morphogenesis.