Intermolecular Coupling of Motion under Photochemical Control

摘要

Biology is replete with examples of sophisticated processes that rely on the precise control of motion at the molecular level.[1], [2] In these systems, appropriate stimulations induce cascades of programmed molecular motions and regulate crucial biological functions as a result. The cytoplasmic proteins dyneins, kinesins, and myosins, for example, shuttle substrates along linear filaments in response to adenosine triphosphate (ATP).[3] The hydrolysis and synthesis of this particular molecule are in turn correlated to the rotary motion of ATP synthase in response to transmembrane fluxes of ions.[4] Similarly, the hydrolysis of ATP can open and close the cylindrical cavity of chaperonin proteins, controlling the release of entrapped guests.