Energy flow in biological system: Bioenergy transduction of V1-ATPase molecular rotary motor from E. hirae

TL;DR

This paper explores the structure and mechanism of the V1-ATPase rotary motor from E. hirae, highlighting its role in energy transduction and discussing broader concepts of energy and information flow in biological systems.

Contribution

It provides detailed structural insights into V1-ATPase intermediates and discusses the molecular mechanism of energy conversion, along with considerations on biological information flow and thermodynamics.

Findings

Structural characterization of V1-ATPase intermediates

Mechanistic explanation of chemical to mechanical energy conversion

Discussion on thermodynamic entropy in biological systems

Abstract

We classify research fields in biology into those on flows of materials, energy, and information. As a representative energy transducing machinery in biology, our research target, V1-ATPase from a bacterium Enterococcus hirae, a typical molecular rotary motor is introduced. Structures of several intermediates of the rotary motor are described and the molecular mechanism of the motor converting chemical energy into mechanical energy is discussed. Comments and considerations on the information flow in biology, especially on the thermodynamic entropy in quantum physical and biological systems, are added in a separate section containing the biologist friendly presentation of this complicated question.