RESUMEN
The mechanism behind the high throughput rate in K+channels is still an open problem. However, recent simulations have shown that the passage of potassium through the K+channel core, the so-called selectivity filter (SF), is water-free against models where the strength of Coulomb repulsion freezes ions conduction. Thus, it has been suggested that coherent quantum hopping might be relevant in mediating ion conduction. Within the quantum approach and the hypothesis of desolvated ions along the pathway, we start with several particles in a source to see how they go across a SF, modeled by a linear chain of sites, to be collected in a drain. We show that the average SF occupancy is three ions, and the ion transfer rate is â¼108ions s-1, results which agree with the recent findings in the literature.
RESUMEN
Assuming the selectivity filter of KcsA potassium ion channel may exhibit quantum coherence, we extend a previous model by Vaziri and Plenio (2010 New J. Phys. 12 085001) to take into account Coulomb repulsion between potassium ions. We show that typical ion transit timescales are determined by this interaction, which imposes optimal input/output parameter ranges. Also, as observed in other examples of quantum tunneling in biological systems, the addition of moderate noise helps coherent ion transport.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Modelos Moleculares , Canales de Potasio/metabolismo , Electricidad Estática , Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Transporte Biológico , Cinética , Canales de Potasio/química , Conformación Proteica , Teoría CuánticaRESUMEN
We numerically show fractal Weyl law behavior in an open Hamiltonian system that is described by a smooth potential and which supports numerous above-barrier resonances. This behavior holds even relatively far away from the classical limit. The complex resonance wave functions are found to be localized on the fractal classical repeller.
RESUMEN
We study the resonance (or Gamow) eigenstates of open chaotic systems in the semiclassical limit, distinguishing between left and right eigenstates of the nonunitary quantum propagator and also between short-lived and long-lived states. The long-lived left (right) eigenstates are shown to concentrate as variant Planck's over 2pi-->0 on the forward (backward) trapped set of the classical dynamics. The limit of a sequence of eigenstates [psi(variant Planck's over)] 2pi-->0 is found to exhibit a remarkably rich structure in phase space that depends on the corresponding limiting decay rate. These results are illustrated for the open baker's map, for which the probability density in position space is observed to have self-similarity properties.
RESUMEN
We examined several strategies for the secretion of Kluyveromyces lactis beta-galactosidase into the culture medium, in order to facilitate the downstream processing and purification of this intracellular enzyme of great industrial interest. We constructed plasmids by fusing the LAC4 gene or engineered variants to the secretion signal of the K.lactis killer toxin or to the secretion signal of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-factor. With these plasmids we transformed strains of the yeasts K.lactis and S.cerevisiae, respectively and tested beta-galactosidase extracellular activity in different culture media. We achieved partial secretion of beta-galactosidase in the culture medium since the high molecular weight and oligomeric nature of the enzyme, among other factors, preclude full secretion. The percentage of secretion was improved by directed mutagenesis of the N-terminus of the protein. We developed several deletion mutants which helped us to propose structure-function relationships by comparison with the available data on the homologous Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase. The influence of the culture conditions on heterologous beta-galactosidase secretion was also studied.