Communicative interaction of myosins along an actin filament in the presence of ATP

Myosin molecules contacting an actin filament in the presence of ATP were found to regulate the filamental fluctuations due to ATP hydrolysis in a communicative manner along the filament. As an evidence of the occurrence of the communication, ATP-activated fluctuating displacements of the filament in the direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis were identified to propagate at a finite velocity not less than about 0.2 μm/s unidirectionally along the filament.     

How can quantum mechanics of material evolution be possible?: Symmetry and symmetry-breaking in protobiological evolution

Material self-assembly as a self-organizing process is always accompanied by symmetry-breaking in the material configuration. Self-sequencing of amino acids during their thermal polymerization has lost a certain property of permutation symmetry that was observed in the mixture of free amino acids. The evolutionary precursor state is more symmetrical about its internal material configuration and more degenerate due to the multitude of the indistinguishable individuals. The evolution proceeds in the direction along which the degeneracy in the internal states dissolves owing to the symmetry-breaking originating in material flow equilibrium of open material aggregates. Protobiological information is latent in the material system which is highly symmetrical and highly degenerate in its internal states. Evolution of matter is an endogenous process in which the earlier symmetric property is lost and less degenerate states are approached. Quantum-mechanically, the generation of protobiological information is due to the symmetry-breaking of the Hamiltonian originating in the interaction with the exterior through material flow, in contrast to the Schrödinger equation which preserves a symmetry and the associated invariants.     

p38 MAP kinase is involved in the signalling of sphingosine in osteoblasts: sphingosine inhibits prostaglandin F(2alpha)-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis

We previously showed that sphingosine inhibits prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha))-stimulated interleukin-6 synthesis in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of sphingosine on phospholipase C-catalyzing phosphoinositide hydrolysis induced by PGF(2alpha) in these cells. Sphingosine inhibited the inositol phosphates formation by PGF(2alpha) or NaF, a GTP-binding protein activator. Sphingosine induced the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase but did not affect the phosphorylation of p42/p44 MAP kinase. SB203580 and PD169316, inhibitors of p38 MAP kinase, rescued the inhibitory effect of sphingosine on the formation of inositol phosphates by PGF(2alpha) or NaF. These results indicate that sphingosine inhibits PGF(2alpha)-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis by phospholipase C via p38 MAP kinase in osteoblasts.     

Cell motility and thermodynamic fluctuations tailoring quantum mechanics for biology

Cell motility underlying muscle contraction is an instance of thermodynamics tailoring quantum mechanics for biology. Thermodynamics is intrinsically multi-agential in admitting energy consumers in the form of energy-deficient thermodynamic fluctuations. The onset of sliding movement of an actin filament on myosin molecules in the presence of ATP molecules to be hydrolyzed demonstrates that thermodynamic fluctuations transform their nature so as to accommodate themselves to energy transduction subject to the first law of thermodynamics. The transition from transversal to longitudinal fluctuations of an actin filament with the increase of ATP concentration coincides with the change in the nature of energy consumers acting upon thermal energy in the light of the first law, eventually embodying a uniform sliding movement of an actin filament.