title: Conductance of a biomolecular wire.
abstract: Carotenoids (Car) act as "wires" that discharge unwanted electrons in the reaction center of higher plants. One step in this "side-path" electron conduction is thought to be mediated by Car oxidation. We have carried out direct measurements of the conductance of single-Car molecules under potential control in a membrane-mimicking environment, and we found that when Car are oxidized conductance is enhanced and the electronic decay constant (beta) is decreased. However, the neutral molecule may already be conductive enough to account for observed electron transfer rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5601, USA. iris.visoly@asu.edu
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Visoly-Fisher
authors.forename: Kayvon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Daie
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terazono
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fungo
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Otero
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Durantini
authors.forename: Juana J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Silber
authors.forename: Leonides
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sereno
authors.forename: Devens
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gust
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Ana L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Stuart M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lindsay
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004579:Electron Transport; D004583:Electrons
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids