Signal transmission through elements of the cytoskeleton form an optimized information network in eukaryotic cells

Survival and proliferation of living systems require them to continuously acquire, process, and respond to information from the environment for threats, opportunities, or (in the case of multicellular organisms) instructions from local tissue

eukaryotes use this mode of signal transmission [wire-like flow of electrons and ions along elements of the cytoskeleton] to convey spatial and temporal environmental information from the cell membrane to the nucleus. The cell membrane, as the interface between intra- and extra-cellular environments, is the site at which much external information is received.

transmembrane ion gradients permit information acquisition when an environmental signal interacts with specialized protein gates in membrane ion channels and producing specific ions to flow into or out of the cell along concentration gradients. The resulting localized change in cytoplasmic ion concentrations and charge density can alter location and enzymatic function of peripheral membrane proteins. This allows the cell to process the information and rapidly deploy a local response.

transmission of information received and processed in and around the cell membrane by elements of the cytoskeleton to the nucleus to alter gene expression.

signal transmission by ion flow along the cytoskeleton is highly optimized.

microtubules, with diameters of about 30 nm, carry coarse-grained Shannon information to the centrosome adjacent to the nucleus with minimum loss of input source information.

microfilaments, with diameters of about 4 nm, transmit maximum Fisher (fine-grained) information to protein complexes in the nuclear membrane.

These previously unrecognized information dynamics allow continuous integration of spatial and temporal environmental signals with inherited information in the genome.

the elements of the cytoskeleton can interact in complex way with molecular transduction pathways.

 complex network for signal transmission and analysis that permits rich information dynamics that likely augments and modifies the more well-known and studied information found  molecular pathways (e.g. the MAPK pathway) that carry information following ligand binding to a membrane receptor to the nucelus.