title: Mechanism of long-range proton translocation along biological membranes.
abstract: Recent experiments suggest that protons can travel along biological membranes up to tens of micrometers, but the mechanism of transport is unknown. To explain such a long-range proton translocation we describe a model that takes into account the coupled bulk diffusion that accompanies the migration of protons on the surface. We show that protons diffusing at or near the surface before equilibrating with the bulk desorb and re-adsorb at the surface thousands of times, giving rise to a power-law desorption kinetics. As a result, the decay of the surface protons occurs very slowly, allowing for establishing local gradient and local exchange, as was envisioned in the early local models of biological energy transduction.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142432 Chernogolovka, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: Emile S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Medvedev
authors.forename: Alexei A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Stuchebrukhov
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004058:Diffusion; D019277:Entropy; D006801:Humans; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D018892:Proton-Motive Force; D011522:Protons; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D011522:Protons