Two models of protoplasm microstructure of the living cell in resting state

TL;DR

This paper introduces two thermodynamic models of protoplasm microstructure in resting cells, based on non-ergodic statistical mechanics, to analyze the energy states and protein conformations distinguishing living and dead cells.

Contribution

It proposes novel models using Hamiltonian mechanics to describe protein interactions and conformations in resting cells, advancing thermodynamic analysis of cell microstructure.

Findings

Hamiltonian describes energy minima for cell states

Distinction between unfolded and folded protein states

Models applicable to thermodynamic analysis of cells

Abstract

In order to develop the methods of thermodynamic analysis for the living cell, two models of protoplasm microstructure of the living cell in resting state were suggested. Both models are based on the assumption that the Ling's cell as a statistical mechanics system is non-ergodic. In the first, Van der Waals model, the protein-protein interactions, which form the physical basis for the cell functioning, are considered as a interactions of key importance. It is postulated that protein molecules are situated in points of some space lattice (the Ling model of a cell) they assemble to aggregates at equilibrium state, corresponding to the dead protoplasm. In the second model we consider protein conformation at the resting state and conformation changes while the cell is passing from the resting state to the equilibrium state (dead protoplasm). The investigation of the models and comparison of their characteristics showed that the convenient tool to define the energy minimum of the system under consideration is a Hamiltonian describing the superfluid Bose gas on protein configuration space. Our approach allows us to define the thermodynamic features of the living (at resting state) and dead protoplasm in a new way: in the first case the system is characterized by the unfolded state of proteins, in the second case proteins are folded and aggregated. Obtained results prove the applicability of our approaches for thermodynamic characteristics of the Ling model of a cell.