Electrical zap of cells shapes growing brains
Researchers tweaked voltage in frog embryo cell membranes, telling tissue where to grow and even fixing defects
A little electricity goes a long way in shaping the growing brain. The electric charge across cell membranes directs many aspects of brain development, scientists report March 11 in the Journal of Neuroscience. Harnessing these charges could eventually allow scientists to fix birth defects or grow new tissue.
The researchers tinkered with the voltage in cell membranes of developing African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis)and found that electric charge plays a role in how big the brain grows and what kind of tissue developing cells grow into. Changing voltage, also called membrane potential, even fixed a brain-damaging birth defect.