| Author |
Davor Juretic |
| Address |
Professor of physics
Department of physics
Faculty of natural sciences
University of Split
Nikole Tesle 12, HR-21000 Split, Croatia |
| E-mail |
juretic@mapmf.pmfst.hr |
| Home page |
http://www.pmfst.hr/~juretic/ |
| Fax |
385-21-362431 |
| Phone |
385-21-587133/188 home
385-21-591438 |
| Awards |
National award "Rudjer
Boskovic" for scientific dicovery (1994)
National medal "Danica Hrvatska" (1996) |
|
|
| Editor |
Informator
Masarykova 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, P.O.Box 749 |
| Phone |
385-01-429333 |
| Fax |
385-01-422286 |
| Director |
Prof. Sanja Peric |
| Editor in
charge |
M.Sc. Jasenka
Lesnik-Gaspic |
| Reviewers |
Academician Prof. Dr. Nenad Trinajstic
Prof. Dr. Mirjana Flögel
Dr. Nenad Raos |
|
|
| Year of publication |
1997 |
| Language |
Croatian |
| Number of pages |
275 |
| Number of
references |
535 |
| Number of figures |
64 |
| Number of tables |
4 |
| Cover |
Soft cover |
| Textbook |
University of Split
textbook |
| Financial support |
Ministry of Science
and Technology, Croatia |
| Present price in
Croatia |
165 kuna (46.5 DEM,
or 25.7 US$, or 16.2 GBP) |
| ISBN |
953-170-046-X |
| UDK |
577.23 (075.8) |
| Number of books |
2000 |
| Abstract |
Bioenergetics, as
the science about cellular energy transduction, is mainly concerned with the problem as to
how respiration and photosynthesis lead to ATP synthesis. Through evolution cells have
learned to use external free-energy sources for charge separation and for the creation of
very strong electric fields. The chemiosmotic hypothesis explains in principle how
proton-motive force is created by membrane proton pumps and how proton back-current can be
converted into synthesis of ATP molecules. The author discusses the molecular details of
the structure and function of integral membrane proteins acting as proton pumps or ion
channels. The author's algorithm, available at the web server http://split.pmfst.hr/spli
, is used to predict the conformation and to locate membrane domains in the
sequence of P-glycoprotein, cystic fibrosis conductance regulator, ATPase, glutamate
receptors, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and voltage-dependent potassium channels from
brain. Some antimicrobial peptides are able to diminish the proton-motive force.
Experiments have been described in which the transmembrane potential of a) rat liver
mitochondria and b) cytochrome c oxidase vesicles, has been titrated with polypeptide
antibiotics of the magainin type. Bioenergetics of the memorization function in the
central nervous system is also discussed. Hypothetical phosphor-code for memory formation
in the brain is associated specific receptors and high level of free-energy transduction
in corresponding brain regions. It is pointed out that, in general, biological energy
conversion is a very intensive process which speeds up the thermodynamic evolution of a
closed system and maintains an open system very far from a state of equilibrium.
Thermodynamic and biological evolution are not in opposition one to another, because
thermodynamic evolution makes possible biological evolution and biological evolution
speeds up thermodynamic evolution. Intensive metabolic activity and human industrial
activity as well can be associated with high entropy production. Recent increases in
planetary entropy production due to human activity will lead in due time to drastic
climatic changes and biosphere evolution toward new steady state less suitable for Homo
sapiens. Instructions as to how to prepare ion-selective electrodes and cytochrome c
oxidase vesicles are included in the appendixes, where many useful addresses for Internet
molecular biology sites can be found too. |
|
| Chapters
with short description of content |
1. Introduction (what is life?)
a. The place of bioenergetics among natural sciences
b. What is life and how it originated
c. Biological and thermodynamic evolution
d. Bioenergetics is concerned with intensive energy transduction
e. Connection between bioenergetics and ecology
53 references and 5 figures
2. Useful concepts from thermodynamics (work in water)
a. Equilibrium thermodynamics
b. Nonequilibrium thermodynamics and coupling of biochemical reactions
12 references and 1 figure
3. Soluble proteins (proteins that like water)
a. Second half of genetic code
b. Dominant forces in protein folding
61 references and 8 figures
4. Biological membranes: structure and permeability properties
(asymmetric liquids)
a. Biological membranes - structures with intensive energy transduction
b. Transport properties of membranes
18 references and 4 figures
5. Life and death of cell structures (deathly structures)
a. Life and death with yew
b. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
c. Life and death of human cells
d. Tubulin, microtubule and taxol
e. Does story about taxol has happy ending?
f. P-glycoprotein: the bouncer who expels unwanted visitors?
50 references and 2 figures
6. Membrane proteins (proteins that do not like water)
a. Structure prediction of membrane proteins
b. Cytochrome c oxidase
c. The structure and kinetic cycle of bacteriorhodopsin
d. Molecular structure and kinetic cycle of photosynthetic reaction
center
e. Proteins from "ABC Transporters" family
71 references and 13 figures
7. Chemiosmotic hypothesis (utility of proton currents)
a. Bioenergetic membrane functions
b. The role of proton circuits in bioenergetics
c. Molecular structure and catalytic cycle of ATPase
d. Can bioenergetics be summed in few rules?
e. Limits and open problems of chemiosmotic hypothesis
35 references and 6 figures
8. Free energy storage utilizing membranes (how to enslave free energy)
a. Free energy change in chemical process and chemical potential
b. Redox potentials and free energy change due to reduction or
oxidation
c. Free energy storage in the electrochemical potential
d. Photon free energy utilization in photosynthesis
21 references and 1 figure
9. Donnan, diffusion and surface potential (resting membrane potentials)
a. Donnan equilibrium
b. Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equations for stationary nonequilibrium state
7 references
10. Antibiotics and membrane energy transduction (love at first touch:
magainins and membranes)
a. The shield of David
b. Magainins - mechanism of action
c. Magainins as antibiotics
d. Magainins as organism primary defense from infections
e. Magainins in fighting cancer
f. Membrane-active polypeptides
g. Hydrophobic moments
47 references and 4 figures
11. Experiments in bioenergetics (how to measure the proton-motive
force)
a. Proton-motive force measurements with ion-selective electrodes
b. The "Clarke" type oxygen electrode and measurements of
the respiratory control ratio
c. Bioenergetics of cytochrome c oxidase incorporated in phospholipid
vesicles
19 references and 7 figures
12. Action potentials in neurons and speculations about bioenergetics of
memorization (how cells talk)
a. Resting and excited neurons
b. Speculations about bioenergetics of memorization process
c. Phosphorylation of membrane proteins and ion current changes in
memory function
d. Structure of voltage-gated cation channels
e. Glutamate receptors
f. Nicotinic receptor for acetylcholine
g. Bioenergetics of "remembrance organs"
135 references and 13 figures
APPENDICES
A. Recipe for the preparation of the TPP ion-selective electrodes
B. Reconstruction of cytochrome c oxidase in phospholipid vesicles
C. Useful servers and address on the Internet |