Detection and control of functional vibrations of biomolecular machines by resonance phenomena

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K18731
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 13:Condensed matter physics and related fields
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Masahiko Imashimizu 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 生命工学領域, 研究員 (90465930)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: テラヘルツ波 / 酵素反応正確性 / RNAポリメラーゼ / 生物ナノマシン / 熱ゆらぎ / 水和 / 不均質性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Highly accurate chemical reactions that are achieved by utilizing thermal fluctuations are the interesting biomolecular mechanism remains to be elucidated. To address this question, a new approach is needed to perturb biomolecualr reaction systems with the energy as low as or lower than thermal fluctuations at physiological temperatures. Here, we employ terahertz (THz) wave as such a perturbation. Not only in terms of the energy range, but also collective biomolecule-water-coupled motions are predicted to exist in the THz frequency region. We developed THz-pump-seq that can statistically assess the effects of (sub)-THz irradiation on transcription by RNA polymerase. This method allowed us to find that (sub)-THz irradiation had the opposite effect of increasing temperature on transcription, making the reaction smooth and accurate. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms behind this phenomenon, based on NMR measurement of aqueous DNA and protein solutions under (sub)-THz irradiation.

Free Research Field

テラバイオロジー

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生物の分子機能を考える上で、多くの場合、水分子の熱運動は均質なものとして捉えられてきた。しかし、生体高分子表面の水分子集団の熱運動は、均質ではない。生体高分子の特性を反映した形で不均質になる。その不均質性は、熱運動を利用しながら正確な分子機能を生み出す酵素反応機構と深く関わっている。不均質性の微視的詳細を明らかにし、それを生物学的理解に結びつける新しいアプローチが必要になる。本研究は、生体試料にTHz波を照射し、その応答を構造ダイナミクス・化学反応など複数の指標で調べるアプローチを構築した。水運動の不均質性を加味した形で正確な酵素反応機構の記述を深め、今後のTHz波制御の可能性を明確にした。