Power transmission along biological membranes.

Hypothesis on long-distance power transmission along extended energy-transducing membranes (Skulachev, 1969, 1971, 1980), has been experimentally proven in four different systems, namely, (i) trichomes of filamentous cyanobacterium Phormidium uncinatum; (ii) filamentous mitochondria and mitochondrial network in fibroblasts; (iii) clusters of roundish heart muscle mitochondria interconnected with mitochondrial junctions; (iv) mixed animal cell cultures interconnected with gap junctions. In all cases, energy was shown to be transmitted in the form of a transmembrane electric potential difference. The transmission occurred for distances as long as several tens of micrometers. Since the (a) delta-muH-bearing cytoplasmic membrane of cyanobacteria and the inner mitochondrial membrane and (b) delta-muNa-bearing outer animal cell membrane were found to be competent in such an effect, one may assume that the power transmission is a fundamental function of extended membrane systems. This mechanism can be used at the intracellular level (mitochondrial) as well as at the supracellular level (cytoplasmic and outer cell membranes). Studies on the possible involvement of membranes in lateral transport of oxygen, ions, fatty acids and membrane proteins seem to hold good promise.