13 research outputs found
Dynamical tunneling in molecules: Quantum routes to energy flow
Dynamical tunneling, introduced in the molecular context, is more than two
decades old and refers to phenomena that are classically forbidden but allowed
by quantum mechanics. On the other hand the phenomenon of intramolecular
vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) has occupied a central place in the
field of chemical physics for a much longer period of time. Although the two
phenomena seem to be unrelated several studies indicate that dynamical
tunneling, in terms of its mechanism and timescales, can have important
implications for IVR. Examples include the observation of local mode doublets,
clustering of rotational energy levels, and extremely narrow vibrational
features in high resolution molecular spectra. Both the phenomena are strongly
influenced by the nature of the underlying classical phase space. This work
reviews the current state of understanding of dynamical tunneling from the
phase space perspective and the consequences for intramolecular vibrational
energy flow in polyatomic molecules.Comment: 37 pages and 23 figures (low resolution); Int. Rev. Phys. Chem.
(Review to appear in Oct. 2007
Bistability in Apoptosis by Receptor Clustering
Apoptosis is a highly regulated cell death mechanism involved in many
physiological processes. A key component of extrinsically activated apoptosis
is the death receptor Fas, which, on binding to its cognate ligand FasL,
oligomerize to form the death-inducing signaling complex. Motivated by recent
experimental data, we propose a mathematical model of death ligand-receptor
dynamics where FasL acts as a clustering agent for Fas, which form locally
stable signaling platforms through proximity-induced receptor interactions.
Significantly, the model exhibits hysteresis, providing an upstream mechanism
for bistability and robustness. At low receptor concentrations, the bistability
is contingent on the trimerism of FasL. Moreover, irreversible bistability,
representing a committed cell death decision, emerges at high concentrations,
which may be achieved through receptor pre-association or localization onto
membrane lipid rafts. Thus, our model provides a novel theory for these
observed biological phenomena within the unified context of bistability.
Importantly, as Fas interactions initiate the extrinsic apoptotic pathway, our
model also suggests a mechanism by which cells may function as bistable
life/death switches independently of any such dynamics in their downstream
components. Our results highlight the role of death receptors in deciding cell
fate and add to the signal processing capabilities attributed to receptor
clustering.Comment: Accepted by PLoS Comput Bio