Sub-millivolt voltage imaging reveals gap junction-mediated bioelectric contact inhibition.

Sub-millivolt voltage imaging uncovers gap junction-mediated bioelectric contact inhibition, showing electrical stability increases with network size and coupling.

• Why it matters: Understanding how multicellular systems regulate electrical activity is crucial for insights into tissue health and disease, but sensitive imaging tools have been lacking.
• What they did: Using rEstus2s, a highly sensitive genetically encoded voltage indicator, researchers measured membrane potential dynamics in multicellular networks, revealing bioelectric contact inhibition.
• The result: Gap junction coupling passively stabilizes membrane potential, reducing electrical volatility, and disruption of this coupling restores high volatility, highlighting its role in maintaining electrical homeostasis.