Abstract

It was recently postulated that neural microtubules (neuro-MTs), which are densely packed inside axons and dendrites, are vacuum cylindrical nanotubes that can mediate neuroelectrical transmission with a unique form of quasi-superconductivity. In this work, the behaviors of free electrons inside a theoretical neuro-MT are modeled using computational analysis and calculations. We reveal that neuro-MTs can function as nanosized physiological devices that mediate neuroelectrical transmission with a super-high energy efficiency in a quasi-superconducting manner. Under physiologically relevant conditions, the binding of cytosolic cations (e.g., K+ and Na+) to the surface residues of a neuro-MT triggers its transition from a resting state to an active state, and the rapid dissociation of these cations triggers the opposite. The dipole ring structures of a neuro-MT will help terminate the free electron conduction inside the vacuum tunnel with high efficiency. The proposed neuro-MT-mediated electrical transmission offers a potential mechanistic explanation for the saltatory conduction of action potentials along an axon or a dendrite. This theoretical exploration also offers unique insights into the rational design of biomimetic room-temperature quasi-superconducting materials, such as carbon or silicone-based quasi-superconducting nanotubes.

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