Nuclear spin catalysis in nanoreactors of living cells

Abstract

There is a great variety of chemical elements with magnetic and nonmagnetic isotopes in living cells. The question arises as to whether living cells can perceive the difference between magnetic and non-magnetic isotopes of chemical elements. It has been shown that bacteria Escherichia coli, which were previously enriched with the magnetic isotope of magnesium, 25Mg, essentially faster adapt to the new growth media in comparison with the cells, which were enriched with the nonmagnetic isotopes, 24Mg or 26Mg. In the experiments with another commonly accepted cell model, yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it has been shown that the magnetic 25Mg, in comparison with the nonmagnetic 24Mg, essentially better stimulates recovery of the cells after short wave UV irradiation. Thus, for the first time, the magnetic isotope effects in vivo have been discovered. These findings reveal the novel, based on the stable magnetic isotopes, ways of control over efficiency and reliability of biological systems.