Search for Coherent Vibrational Energy Transfer in Proteins

提出了一种新的实验方法来研究蛋白质α-螺旋链段中能量的相干长程振动传输问题。以往的研究主要集中在能量载体蛋白质的光学性质上。在这种方法中，优先考虑使能量的初始和最终位置被很好地定义。在皮秒范围内的飞行时间测量然后确定能量是否以显著的概率从供体转移到受体，如果是的话，确定在蛋白质中的传播速度。初步的计算和实验已经确定了这种机制的传输应该是可检测的条件。建议建立适当标记的蛋白质片段和相关的模型系统，并进行实验研究。

A new experimental approach to the problem of coherent long- range vibrational transport of energy in protein alpha- helical segments is proposed. Previous approaches have concentrated on the optical properties of the protein, the carrier of the energy. In this method priority is given to making the initial and final locations of the energy well defined. A time-of-flight measurement in the picosecond regime then establishes whether the energy is transferred from a donor to the acceptor with a significant probability, and, if it is, the speed of propagation in the protein. Preliminary computations and experiments have established the conditions under which transport by this mechanism should be detectable. The proposal is to set up appropriately labelled protein segments and a relevant model system and to make the experimental search.