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Abstract
Nanoscale electrostatics plays important roles in aster (spindle) assembly and motion, nuclear envelope breakdown and reassembly, and in force generation at kinetochores, poles, and chromosome arms for prometaphase, metaphase, and anaphase—A chromosome motions during mitosis. A large body of experimental evidence also suggests a role for electrostatics as the trigger for mitosis, which is considered here particularly in the context of cancer. Cancer cells are characterized by impaired intercellular electrical communication and adhesive contact as well as a loss of contact inhibition, conditions associated with increased cell surface negativity relative to their normal counterparts. Dividing cells have also been associated with lower transmembrane potentials and altered intracellular ionic concentrations. Here we propose that cancer cells are distinguished by abnormal trans- and intramembrane electric potentials, leading to the loss of active Na+/K+ plasma membrane pumping, increased intracellular concentrations of sodium and other ions, and alkaline nucleo-cytoplasmic pH, all of which are associated with and integral to carcinogenesis.
Highlights
The electromagnetic interaction is primarily responsible for the structure of matter from atoms to objects
Cancer cells are characterized by impaired intercellular electrical communication and adhesive contact as well as a loss of contact inhibition, conditions associated with increased cell surface negativity relative to their normal counterparts
The present work relates to increased cell surface negative charge to aspects of mitogenesis in cancer cells including increased membrane electrostatic stress and reduced intramembrane electric potential
Summary
The electromagnetic interaction is primarily responsible for the structure of matter from atoms to objects. It was proposed that increased sialic acid density at the surfaces of transformed and malignant cells could be a general characteristic of cancer cells [6]. In principle, increased density of sialic acid could prevent the intimate association necessary to establish intercellular contact, either directly due to the increased charge, or indirectly by masking other carbohydrate residues involved in functional contact. Another long-standing set of observations concerns differences between the transmembrane electric potential of cycling (i.e., dividing) and non-cycling cells [27] [28] [29] [30]. Differences in ion concentrations and overall ionic strength are both important aspects of the disparity in measured transmembrane potentials of dividing versus non-dividing cells, as considered below
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