Fig. 1.

Changes in Vmem within and among cells in a network. (A) Vmem is a measure of the resting membrane potential across a plasma membrane of a cell. It is the product of a suite of pumps and channels that regulate the movement of ions across the plasma membrane. Resting Vmem can vary within a cell and during phases of the cell cycle. However, the resting Vmem is generally associated with the proliferative state of a cell, becoming hyperpolarized with progressive differentiation. (B) When cells are coupled in a series, voltage differential is minimized through ionic currents flowing through gap junctions. (C) Recent work has shown that key properties of Vmem regulation can be modeled through a simple integrated feedback circuit that considers the additive effects of inwardly rectifying (K_ir) and leak (K_L) potassium channels. Cm, membrane capacitance; g, conductance of channel; E, electromotive force of channel. Image in C is modified, with permission, from McNamara et al. (2020).