title: Tubulin dipole moment, dielectric constant and quantum behavior: computer simulations, experimental results and suggestions.
abstract: We used computer simulation to calculate the electric dipole moments of the alpha- and beta-tubulin monomers and dimer and found those to be |p(alpha)| = 552D, |p(beta)| = 1193D and |p(alphabeta)| = 1740D, respectively. Independent surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and refractometry measurements of the high-frequency dielectric constant and polarizability strongly corroborated our previous SPR-derived results, giving Deltan/Deltac approximately 1.800 x 10(-3)ml/mg. The refractive index of tubulin was measured to be n(tub) approximately 2.90 and the high-frequency tubulin dielectric constant k(tub) approximately 8.41, while the high-frequency polarizability was found to be alpha(tub) approximately 2.1 x 10(-33)C m(2)/V. Methods for the experimental determination of the low-frequency p are explored, as well as ways to test the often conjectured quantum coherence and entanglement properties of tubulin. Biobits, bioqubits and other applications to bioelectronics are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA. mershin@physics.tamu.edu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mershin
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kolomenski
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Schuessler
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Nanopoulos
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D039301:Computers, Molecular; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000379:methods; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin