Ergodicity breaking on the neuronal surface emerges from random switching between diffusive states

Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 14;7(1):5404. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05911-y.

Abstract

Stochastic motion on the surface of living cells is critical to promote molecular encounters that are necessary for multiple cellular processes. Often the complexity of the cell membranes leads to anomalous diffusion, which under certain conditions it is accompanied by non-ergodic dynamics. Here, we unravel two manifestations of ergodicity breaking in the dynamics of membrane proteins in the somatic surface of hippocampal neurons. Three different tagged molecules are studied on the surface of the soma: the voltage-gated potassium and sodium channels Kv1.4 and Nav1.6 and the glycoprotein CD4. In these three molecules ergodicity breaking is unveiled by the confidence interval of the mean square displacement and by the dynamical functional estimator. Ergodicity breaking is found to take place due to transient confinement effects since the molecules alternate between free diffusion and confined motion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • CD4 Antigens / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Diffusion
  • Hippocampus / cytology*
  • Kv1.4 Potassium Channel / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Models, Neurological
  • Motion
  • NAV1.6 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel / metabolism
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Stochastic Processes

Substances

  • CD4 Antigens
  • Kv1.4 Potassium Channel
  • Membrane Proteins
  • NAV1.6 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
  • Scn8a protein, rat