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Low-frequency oscillations as internal state integrators of a biosystem model with voltage-gated ion channels

Sergio Portillo1,*, Javier Cervera1, Patricio Ramirez2, and Salvador Mafe1,3,†

  • *Contact author: sergio.portillo@uv.es
  • †Contact author: smafe@uv.es
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Phys. Rev. E 114, 044407 – Published 14 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/x78y-924k

Abstract

The protein ion channels inserted in cell membranes can act as bioelectrical diodes that control ionic transport. The nonlinear dynamics inherent to voltage-gated channels is useful to process temporal patterns and we explore the response of these channels to low-frequency voltage oscillations, which are observed in most organisms as internal state integrators. To this end, we employ experimentally motivated current-voltage curves in parallel networks of voltage-gated ion channels performing the time-series analysis of a low-frequency oscillatory rhythm. The simulations suggest how channel diversity can contribute to the system-wide internal control, which should be of interest to biophysics and neuromorphic computing.

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Phys. Rev. E 114, 044407– Published 14 October, 2026
  • Received 14 July 2026
  • Accepted 24 September 2026
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