Cell Language Theory, The: Connecting Mind And Matter

The Bhopalator 75

“6x9” b2861 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter

within an enzyme and rotate along the a 3 b 3 hexamer in the F 1 F 0 –ATPase

(see Figure 3.12).

3.2.8 The GFCP and Rotary Enzyme Catalysis

The first direct evidence for the conformational waves (also called

mobile conformational wave packets or conformons) accompanying

enzyme catalysis appears to have been observed by Uchihashi et al. in

2011 (see [85, Figure 3.12(g)]). Using high-speed atomic force micros-

copy (HS-AFM), these investigators observed that ATP hydrolysis

caused a propagation of the conformational changes in the a 3 b 3 sub-

complex of the F 0 F 1 –ATPase, as can be seen in Figure 3.12(g). The

linear speed of the propagation of the conformational waves around the

periphery of the circular complex was found to be about 10 nm/s or

100 Å/s.

The circular propagation of conformational waves measured by

Uchihashi et al. [85] as shown in Figure 3.12(g) serves as the first clear

example of the rotary catalysis as well. The propagation speed of the

conformational waves around the b-subunits in the isolated a 3 b 3 stator

ring (see [85 Figures 1 and 2]) is about 200°/s. The authors concluded that

the “structural basis of the unidirectionality” of the rotary conformational

waves “is programmed in the stator ring” but they did not provide any

molecular mechanisms for the unidirectional wave propagation. One such

Figure 3.11 The SPSP: The interaction between the system and the environment deter-

mines whether or not the systome will undergo spontaneous processes (see Section 2.5).

∆GX = ∆GX° + 2.3 RT log [X]OUT/[X]IN

Determined by

the system

Determined by the

environment

Determined by

the systome (i.e.,

the system plus

the environment)

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