Logical gates in actin monomer

Sci Rep. 2017 Sep 18;7(1):11755. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-11333-7.

Abstract

We evaluate information processing capacity of a single actin molecule by calculating distributions of logical gates implemented by the molecule via propagating patterns of excitation. We represent a filamentous actin molecule as an excitable automaton network (F-actin automaton). where every atom updates its state depending on states of atoms its connected to with chemical bonds (hard neighbours) and atoms being in physical proximity to the atom (soft neighbours). A resting atom excites if a sum of its excited hard neighbours and a weighted sum of its soft neighbours belong to some specified interval. We demonstrate that F-actin automata implement OR, AND, XOR and AND-NOT gates via interacting patterns of excitation. Gate AND is the most common gate and gate XOR is the rarest. Using the architectures of gates discovered we implement one bit half-adder and controlled-not circuits in the F-actin automata. Speed and space values of the F-actin molecular computers are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Actins / chemistry*
  • Animals
  • Computers, Molecular*
  • Rabbits

Substances

  • Actins