Quantum Interference and Selectivity through Biological Ion Channels

Vahid Salari,Afshin Shafiee,Hamidreza Naeij

doi:10.1038/srep41625

Abstract

The mechanism of selectivity in ion channels is still an open question in biology for more than half a century. Here, we suggest that quantum interference can be a solution to explain the selectivity mechanism in ion channels since interference happens between similar ions through the same size of ion channels. In this paper, we simulate two neighboring ion channels on a cell membrane with the famous double-slit experiment in physics to investigate whether there is any possibility of matter-wave interference of ions via movement through ion channels. Our obtained decoherence timescales indicate that the quantum states of ions can only survive for short times, i.e. ≈100 picoseconds in each channel and ≈17–53 picoseconds outside the channels, giving the result that the quantum interference of ions seems unlikely due to environmental decoherence. However, we discuss our results and raise few points, which increase the possibility of interference.

Highlights

We would like to investigate the possibility of matter-wave interference of ions via passing the ion channels
The results indicate that the decoherence time is around 100 picoseconds (i.e. ≈0.1 ns) inside the selectivity filter mainly due to scattering with C=Obonds
We investigated the possibility of quantum interference of ions through ion channels to see whether quantum interference can be the cause of selectivity in ion channels

Summary

A Simulation for two neighboring ion channels as a double-slit

Feynman believed that we can see the whole mysteries of quantum theory in the double-slit experiment[23]. We obtain the real values of the distance between two neighboring ion channels, d′, according to different measures of h For this purpose, we draw the interference patterns according to the equation Supplementary Information - 13 in which b is the width of selectivity filter, and d is a variable parameter similar to the real range of distances between ion channels for potassium ion. We will investigate the effect of biological environment on the quantum states of ions inside and outside of the selectivity filter. For the superposition state of the ion outside of the selectivity filter and regarding the delocalization of the ion between the two ion channels we should consider the Eq 11, which is used in the short wavelength limit (i.e. Δx≫ λen) for scattering between the system and the environmental particles. The results indicate that the superposition states can only survive about 17–53 picoseconds

Discussion

Conclusion