[Paper Review] Magnetic Dipoles and Quantum Coherence in Muscle Contraction

Kuniyuki Hatori, Hajime Honda+1 more|ArXiv.org|Apr 9, 2001

Photoreceptor and optogenetics research1 references16 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes that actin filaments in muscle contraction generate coherent magnetic dipoles when ATP is available, driven by quantum coherence effects despite thermal fluctuations. The authors suggest that these dipoles, though fluctuating, maintain long-range coherence across the filament, offering a quantum mechanical explanation for the efficiency and coordination in muscle contraction at the molecular level.

ABSTRACT

An actin filament contacting myosin molecules as a functional unit of muscle contraction induces magnetic dipoles along the filament when ATP molecules to be hydrolyzed are available there. The induced magnetic dipoles are coherent over the entire filament, though they are fluctuating altogether as constantly being subject to the ambient thermal agitations.

Motivation & Objective

• To investigate the role of quantum coherence in muscle contraction at the molecular level.
• To explore how magnetic dipoles emerge in actin filaments during ATP hydrolysis.
• To understand how coherence can be maintained in the presence of thermal noise in biological systems.
• To propose a quantum mechanical framework for the functional coordination of myosin-actin interactions.
• To examine the implications of coherent magnetic dipoles for the efficiency and regulation of muscle contraction.

Proposed method

• Modeling the actin filament as a system that develops magnetic dipoles upon ATP binding and hydrolysis.
• Applying principles of quantum physics to describe the coherent alignment of magnetic dipoles along the filament.
• Analyzing the system under thermal agitation to assess stability and coherence persistence.
• Using quantum field theory concepts to describe collective behavior of dipoles over the entire filament length.
• Focusing on the dynamic interplay between ATP availability, dipole induction, and coherence maintenance.
• Treating the myosin-actin interface as a functional unit where quantum coherence enables coordinated force generation.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can magnetic dipoles be induced in actin filaments during ATP hydrolysis, and if so, what is their nature?
• RQ2 How is quantum coherence maintained in actin filaments despite constant thermal fluctuations?
• RQ3 What role do coherent magnetic dipoles play in the functional coordination of myosin cross-bridges?
• RQ4 Is there a quantum mechanical mechanism underlying the efficiency of muscle contraction at the molecular scale?
• RQ5 How does the collective behavior of dipoles across the filament contribute to force production?

Key findings

• Magnetic dipoles are induced along actin filaments when ATP is available for hydrolysis.
• These dipoles exhibit coherence over the entire length of the filament, despite thermal fluctuations.
• The coherence is maintained dynamically through continuous ATP-driven processes, even under ambient thermal agitation.
• The system operates as a functional unit where quantum coherence enables synchronized action of myosin molecules.
• The findings suggest a novel quantum mechanism for muscle contraction efficiency and coordination.
• The model provides a theoretical basis for long-range coherence in biological filaments under physiological conditions.