The complexities of ligand/receptor interactions: Exploring the role of molecular vibrations and quantum tunnelling.
Bioessays
; 46(5): e2300195, 2024 May.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38459808
ABSTRACT
Molecular vibrations and quantum tunneling may link ligand binding to the function of pharmacological receptors. The well-established lock-and-key model explains a ligand's binding and recognition by a receptor; however, a general mechanism by which receptors translate binding into activation, inactivation, or modulation remains elusive. The Vibration Theory of Olfaction was proposed in the 1930s to explain this subset of receptor-mediated phenomena by correlating odorant molecular vibrations to smell, but a mechanism was lacking. In the 1990s, inelastic electron tunneling was proposed as a plausible mechanism for translating molecular vibration to odorant physiology. More recently, studies of ligands' vibrational spectra and the use of deuterated ligand analogs have provided helpful information to study this admittedly controversial hypothesis in metabotropic receptors other than olfactory receptors. In the present work, based in part on published experiments from our laboratory using planarians as an experimental organism, I will present a rationale and possible experimental approach for extending this idea to ligand-gated ion channels.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Vibração
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article