title: On macroscopic quantum phenomena in biomolecules and cells: from Levinthal to Hopfield.
abstract: In the context of the macroscopic quantum phenomena of the second kind, we hereby seek for a solution-in-principle of the long standing problem of the polymer folding, which was considered by Levinthal as (semi)classically intractable. To illuminate it, we applied quantum-chemical and quantum decoherence approaches to conformational transitions. Our analyses imply the existence of novel macroscopic quantum biomolecular phenomena, with biomolecular chain folding in an open environment considered as a subtle interplay between energy and conformation eigenstates of this biomolecule, governed by quantum-chemical and quantum decoherence laws. On the other hand, within an open biological cell, a system of all identical (noninteracting and dynamically noncoupled) biomolecular proteins might be considered as corresponding spatial quantum ensemble of these identical biomolecular processors, providing spatially distributed quantum solution to a single corresponding biomolecular chain folding, whose density of conformational states might be represented as Hopfield-like quantum-holographic associative neural network too (providing an equivalent global quantum-informational alternative to standard molecular-biology local biochemical approach in biomolecules and cells and higher hierarchical levels of organism, as well).
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Dejan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raković
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
authors.forename: Miroljub
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dugić
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jasmina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeknić-Dugić
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Milenko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plavšić
authors.affiliation: Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Stevo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaćimovski
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia ; Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of Srpska, 78000 Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Jovan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Setrajčić
mesh_terms: D008954:Models, Biological; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D017510:Protein Folding; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011789:Quantum Theory
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins