Membrane tension influences the spike propagation between voltage-gated ion channel clusters of excitable membranes

Ion channels of excitable membranes are known to be sensitive to various kinds of stimuli, but the case of simultaneous occurrence of different stimuli is poorly understood. Here, we theoretically analyze the influence of membrane tension on the dynamics of voltage-gated ion channels of excitable membranes. To do so, we develop a modification of the well-known Hodgkin-Huxley model to study numerically the spike generation and propagation in a single and two coupled excitable cells. We find that these cells can use membrane tension to trigger sub-threshold spike propagation, to suppress spike propagation and to alter the intensity of the signal transmission. These effects indicate that cells could use membrane tension to regulate cell-to-cell communication.