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Guo L, Zhu K, Pargett M, Contreras A, Tsai P, Qing Q, Losert W, Albeck J, Zhao M. Electrically synchronizing and modulating the dynamics of ERK activation to regulate cell fate. iScience 2021; 24:103240. [PMID: 34746704 PMCID: PMC8554532 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular signaling dynamics play fundamental roles in cell biology. Precise modulation of the amplitude, duration, and frequency of signaling activation will be a powerful approach to investigate molecular mechanisms as well as to engineer signaling to control cell behaviors. Here, we showed a practical approach to achieve precise amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), and duration modulation (DM) of MAP kinase activation. Alternating current (AC) electrical stimulation induced synchronized ERK activation. Amplitude and duration of ERK activation were controlled by varying stimulation strength and duration. ERK activation frequencies were arbitrarily modulated with trains of short AC applications with accurately defined intervals. Significantly, ERK dynamics coded by well-designed AC can rewire PC12 cell fate independent of growth factors. This technique can be used to synchronize and modulate ERK activation dynamics, thus would offer a practical way to control cell behaviors in vivo without the use of biochemical agents or genetic manipulation. Alternating-current (AC) electric field activates ERK independently of growth factors AC stimulation length modulates the amplitude and duration of ERK activation On-off time interval of AC modulates the frequency of ERK activation peaks Electrical modulation of ERK dynamics promotes neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Guo
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Department of Dermatology, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.,College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China
| | - Kan Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Department of Dermatology, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Michael Pargett
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Adam Contreras
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Department of Dermatology, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Patrick Tsai
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Department of Dermatology, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Quan Qing
- Department of Physics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Wolfgang Losert
- Department of Physics, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - John Albeck
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Min Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Department of Dermatology, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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