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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.06.16.496395

The MeshCODE to scale - Visualising synaptic binary information.

Barnett, S. F.·Goult, B. T.
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Abstract

The Mercator projection map of the world provides a useful, but distorted, view of the relative scale of countries. Current cellular models suffer from a similar distortion. Here, we undertook an in-depth structural analysis of the molecular dimensions in the cells computational machinery, the MeshCODE, that is assembled from a meshwork of binary switches in the scaffolding proteins talin and vinculin. Talin contains a series of force-dependent binary switches and each domain switching state introduces quantised step-changes in talin length on a micrometre scale. The average dendritic spine is 1 {micro}m in diameter so this analysis identifies a plausible Gearbox-like mechanism for dynamic regulation of synaptic function, whereby the positioning of enzymes and substrates relative to each other, mechanically-encoded by the MeshCODE switch patterns, might control synaptic transmission. Based on biophysical rules and experimentally derived distances, this analysis yields a novel perspective on biological digital information.

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Barnett, S. F., Goult, B. T.. 2022-06-17. The MeshCODE to scale - Visualising synaptic binary information.. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.06.16.496395

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