Rod structures of bound water: a possible role in self-organization of biological systems and nondissipative energy transmission

Abstract

Cluster–rod structure were designed, which are comprised of tetrahedral atoms with a typical torsion angle of ~38° at interatomic bonds. These structures correspond to a muscle tissue and clathrin lattice by their metrics and topology and can be formed by bound water in these systems. It is shown that the considered rod structures, which are fragments of bound water structures, can also be involved in nondissipative energy transmission as elastic energy storing structures. The estimated length of the bound water rod structure required to absorb the energy of decomposition of an ATP molecule into ADP and a phosphate group is comparable with myosin head sizes and its step along an actin filament. A mechanism of cooperative transition of the rod structure to a fragment of the ice Ih structure was demonstrated. This transition is accompanied by nondissipative release of stored energy.