Related papers: Energy Transport and its Function in Heptahelical …
Recently, a growing interest has been addressed to the electrical properties of bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a protein belonging to the transmembrane protein family. To take into account the structure-dependent nature of the current, in a…
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), a major gatekeeper of extracellular signals on plasma membrane, are unarguably one of the most important therapeutic targets. Given the recent discoveries of allosteric modulations, an allosteric wiring…
The remarkable ability of natural proteins to conduct electricity in the dry state over long distances remains largely inexplicable despite intensive research. In some cases, a (weakly) exponential length-attenuation, as in off-resonant…
When moving from native to light activated bacteriorhodopsin, modification of charge transport consisting of an increase of conductance is correlated to the protein conformational change. A theoretical model based on a map of the protein…
Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is a light-driven proton pump. We use time-resolved crystallography at an X-ray free-electron laser to follow the structural changes in multiphoton-excited bR from 250 femtoseconds to 10 picoseconds. Quantum chemistry…
Water molecules inside G-protein coupled receptor have recently been spotlighted in a series of crystal structures. To decipher the dynamics and functional roles of internal waters in GPCR activity, we studied A$_{\text{2A}}$ adenosine…
We simulate the electrical properties of a device realized by a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR), embedded in its membrane and in contact with two metallic electrodes through which an external voltage is applied. To this purpose, recently,…
We investigate conductance and conductance fluctuations of two transmembrane proteins, bacteriorhodopsin and proteorhodopsin, belonging to the family of protein light receptors. These proteins are widely diffused in aqueous environments,…
Proteins are large and complex molecular machines. In order to perform their function, most of them need energy, e.g. either in the form of a photon, like in the case of the visual pigment rhodopsin, or through the breaking of a chemical…
Heat dissipation is ubiquitous in living systems, which constantly convert distinct forms of energy into each other. The transport of thermal energy in liquids and even within proteins is well understood but kinetic energy transfer across a…
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a diverse and vital family of membrane proteins that mediate intracellular signaling in response to extracellular stimuli, playing critical roles in physiology and disease. Traditionally…
Protein machines often exhibit long range interplay between different sites in order to achieve their biological tasks. We investigate and characterize the non--linear energy localization and the basic mechanisms of energy transfer in…
One of the main trend in to date research and development is the miniaturization of electronic devices. In this perspective, integrated nanodevices based on proteins or biomolecules are attracting a major interest. In fact, it has been…
Dynamics and functions of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are accurately regulated by the type of ligands that bind to the orthosteric or allosteric binding sites. To glean the structural and dynamical origin of ligand-dependent…
Protein mobility is conventionally analyzed in terms of an effective diffusion. Yet, this description often fails to properly distinguish and evaluate the physical parameters (such as the membrane friction) and the biochemical interactions…
The response of proteins to chemical reactions or impulsive excitation that occurs within the molecule has fascinated chemists for decades. In recent years ultrafast X-ray studies have provided ever more detailed information about the…
The integration of functional proteins into solid-state electronic devices remains a central challenge in molecular bioelectronics due to the fragile nature of protein structures and their complex charge-transport behaviour. Here, we…
The cell cytoskeleton is a striking example of "active" medium driven out-of-equilibrium by ATP hydrolysis. Such activity has been shown recently to have a spectacular impact on the mechanical and rheological properties of the cellular…
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are central to cellular information processing, yet the physical principles governing their switching behavior remain incompletely understood. We present a first principles theoretical framework, grounded…
Aqueous proton transport plays a key role in acid-base neutralization, and energy transport through biological membranes and hydrogen fuel cells. Extensive experimental and theoretical studies have resulted in a highly detailed elucidation…