Primary structure of proteins as a nanowire for metabolic electronic transport

It is considered that the major process in an organism is the synthesis of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules (its resumption from the adenosine diphosphate (ADP) molecules). These molecules are the basic (if not unique) energy resource of an organism. For the completion of process of the ATP synthesis in mitochondria, it is necessary to transfer to it a pair of electrons from places where electrons rise up as a result of oxidizing processes. Research of mechanisms of such transfer is important therefore, in particular, from the point of regulative influence on them in medical aims. Various proteins, the primary structure of which can provide the transport of electrons between donors and acceptors, saturate a volume and membranes of cages. A question about a possibility to examine this primary structure of proteins as a nanowire of a semiconductor nature is analyzed. The possibility of active transport of electrons through its conductivity band is analyzed also. In this paper, it was shown that a heterogeneous protein system is possible to be considered as a semiconductor with an average-nitrogen nuclear subsystem and with an average-oxygen electronic subsystem. Also, it was shown that in the potential energy of interaction between the electron and the nuclear subsystem indeed exists non-compensated contributions. These contributions are related to the radicals and provide the active transport of electrons along the primary structure of protein molecules. It was demonstrated also that external fields can have local regulative influence on the transport of electron in proteins by compensating the remaining field or strengthening it. Fulfilled analysis gives a possibility in zero approximation of the application of representation of numbers of filling to the protein molecule, considering it as the nanowire

Forecasting of the influence of physical fields on the metabolic nanocurrent in proteins

It is known that in order to complete the process of ATP synthesis in mitochondria, it is necessary to transfer in it electrons from places where electrons arise as a result of oxidative processes. Therefore, the study of the mechanisms of such a transfer is important, in particular, from the point of view of the regulatory effect on it for therapeutic purposes. The question of the possibility of considering the primary structure of proteins as an active nanowire of a semiconductor nature is analyzed. It has been shown that a non-uniform amino acid composition forms a residual electrostatic field, which is the cause of directional electron transfer. In particular, studies have been conducted on the effect of temperature on electron transfer processes along cellular organelles, which are polypeptide fragments of protein molecules. The calculations show that the electron, which is transferred by the residual field, creates micro currents in the range from 23 to 205 pA depending on the length of the protein-like nanowire (respectively, from 300 to 100 amino acid residues) and temperature in the physiologically relevant range: 33-41oC. The possibility of controlling electron transfers along a protein-like nanowire using a magnetic field is investigated. The found threshold value of the magnetic field at which ATP synthesis can be blocked is consistent with observations. For magnetic field strength it will be: H=8·104A/m. </jats:p