Open AccessElectromechanochemical Model of Mitochondrial Structure and Function
Author(s) -
David E. Green,
Sungchul Ji
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.69.3.726
Subject(s) - electric field , chemistry , chemical physics , electron transfer , mitochondrion , function (biology) , physics , biophysics , biology , biochemistry , quantum mechanics , microbiology and biotechnology
A new model of mitochondrial structure and function is proposed on the basis of four fundamental assumptions: (a ) electrons and protons are separated in the electron transfer complexes; (b ) the ATPase undergoes conformational state-transitions induced by an electric field; (c ) energy is transferred by an electric field effect; and (d ) a conformationally strained protein system can be relaxed via a bond-forming chemical reaction. The model can explain all of the mitochondrial coupled processes and, in addition, it provides a reasonable rationalization of the correlation between mitochondrial structure and function.