Quantum theory of hydrogen atoms distribution between two complementary nucleotide bases in DNA double helix at moment of replication has been proposed in this work. It bases on two mechanisms of proton tunneling: the Andreev-Meyerovich mechanism with spontaneous phonon radiation and the Kagan-Maximov (Flynn-Stoneham) mechanism at phonon scattering. According to the presented model, the probability of proton location in shallow potential well (point mutation form) is directly proportional to temperature. It was shown that the point mutation probability decreases with increasing replication velocity.
Quantum theory of hydrogen atoms distribution between two complementary nucleotide bases in DNA double helix at moment of replication has been proposed in this work. It bases on two mechanisms of proton tunneling: the Andreev-Meyerovich mechanism with spontaneous phonon radiation and the Kagan-Maximov (Flynn-Stoneham) mechanism at phonon scattering. According to the presented model, the probability of proton location in shallow potential well (point mutation form) is directly proportional to temperature. It was shown that the point mutation probability decreases with increasing replication velocity.
• A study published in the international journal Communications Physics demonstrated the phenomenon of proton tunneling inside DNA utilizing an open quantum systems approach. • The research confirmed that protons within DNA hydrogen bonds pass through binding barriers via quantum tunnelling, going well beyond simple thermal fluctuations, and that this plays a dominant role in the conversion of base pairs into rare tautomers. • This is a groundbreaking result proving that the fundamental genetic mutation process of life is driven by microscopic quantum tunneling probabilities, revealing that tautomeric states can induce natural point mutations. [Quantum Biology Society] The DNA double helix, which contains all the genetic information of living organisms, is stably maintained by hydrogen bonds between base pairs. However, even in this robust structure, unexplained point mutations occasionally occur, becoming the seeds of evolution and disease. Recently, a study demonstrating that quantum tunnelling—a bizarre physical law of the subatomic world—is deeply involved behind this fundamental biological phenomenon was published, surprising both the biology and physics communities. The paper detailing this groundbreaking discovery, titled "An open quantum systems approach to proton tunnelling in DNA," was made freely available in Communications Physics, a sister journal to the world-renowned Nature. A research team consisting of Louie Slocombe, Marco Sacchi, and Jim Al-Khalili from the University of Surrey in the UK led this interdisciplinary study. ■ The Power of Quantum Tunneling Beyond Classical Chemistry From the perspective of general classical biochemistry, it has been assumed that for protons forming DNA hydrogen bonds to change positions, sufficient thermal fluctuation is required to overcome the binding barrier. However, the researchers discovered a surprising fact through an open quantum systems model that precisely reflects the effects of decoherence and dissipation within the cellular environment. Protons instantly change their binding positions through quantum tunneling, passing through the barrier despite a lack of energy, and the contribution of quantum tunneling to the chemical reaction rate is several orders of magnitude larger than classical over-the-barrier hopping. ■ The Beginning of Mutation: Tautomeric Conversion According to the analysis, this quantum tunneling plays a dominant role in the conversion of Guanine-Cytosine (G-C) base pairs from their canonical form into highly rare and unstable tautomeric forms. The problem arises when the DNA strands are separated by the helicase enzyme and replication occurs in this state. The research team confirmed that at biological temperatures (around 300K), the thermal equilibrium occupation probability of the tautomer reaches an astoundingly high value of 1.73 × 10⁻⁴. This is significantly higher than the previously known natural spontaneous mutation rate (about 10⁻⁸), strongly suggesting that tautomerisation via quantum tunneling is a substantial and crucial cause of point mutations. ■ Presenting a New Paradigm in Life Sciences This study is a monumental achievement proving that genetic stability and the mutation process—the most fundamental and secretive domain of life—are not accidental chemical mistakes but are directly driven by the probability of quantum tunneling, a physical law of the microscopic world. This is a powerful demonstration that overturns the conventional view of interpreting biological phenomena solely through macroscopic molecular structures and chemical bonds, showing that quantum mechanics can be the key to fully explaining genetic mutation models.
• Published in Nature's sister journal Communications Physics, proposing an 'open quantum systems approach to proton tunnelling in DNA'. • Analysis of G-C base pairs confirmed that the proton transfer rate by tunnelling is overwhelmingly higher than classical methods even at biological temperatures and in a dissipative environment. • Demonstrated a high tautomeric occupation probability... suggesting that DNA mutation is deeply governed by quantum mechanical processes. [Quantum Biology Society] Research revealing that the fundamental cause of mutations threatening the genetic stability of DNA—the core of life preservation—is based on quantum mechanical phenomena rather than classical biochemical reactions is drawing significant attention from the academic community. A paper published in Communications Physics, a sister journal of Nature, titled "An open quantum systems approach to proton tunnelling in DNA" verified this innovative hypothesis with a sophisticated physical model. A joint research team, including Louie Slocombe and Professor Jim Al-Khalili, thoroughly analyzed the quantum mechanical processes related to proton transfer. ■ Protons Piercing Through Hydrogen Bonds, Inducing 'Point Mutations' If a proton moves out of its orbit within the hydrogen bonds of the Guanine-Cytosine (G-C) base pair connecting the DNA double helix structure, tautomerisation occurs, altering the chemical structure of the base, which can lead to a point mutation, an error in genetic information. However, exactly how this process occurs in a warm and complex biological environment has long been a matter of debate. To solve this challenge, the research team applied an open quantum system that integrated an accurate structural model of the G-C base pair with the quantum dynamics of the hydrogen bond proton and the influence of the decoherent and dissipative cellular environment. ■ Quantum Effects Surviving Even in Biological Environments... "Tens of Thousands of Times Faster Than Over-the-Barrier Hopping" The analysis results completely overturned the conventional wisdom that quantum phenomena are confined only to the microscopic world or cryogenic temperatures. The research team found that, despite biological temperatures and environmental factors, the quantum tunnelling contribution to the proton transfer rate is several orders of magnitude (tens of thousands of times) larger than the classical 'over-the-barrier hopping' method, where particles gain energy to cross the barrier. Due to the strong quantum tunnelling effect, the canonical and tautomeric forms of the G-C base pair inter-convert over timescales far shorter than biological ones and very rapidly reach thermal equilibrium. ■ The Origins of Cancer and Evolution Lie in Quantum Probabilities What is even more surprising is that the tautomeric occupation probability through tunnelling reaches a significant level of 1.73 × 10⁻⁴. This suggests that such proton transfer may well play a far more dominant and important role in DNA mutation than the academic community has hitherto thought. This study, which proves that DNA mutations—the macroscopic consequences driving the onset of genetic diseases or cancer, and further, the evolution of life—are in fact thoroughly governed by microscopic quantum tunnelling phenomena, will serve as a powerful indicator of how Quantum Biology can innovate the paradigms of medicine and genetics in the future.
The influence of quantum tunnelling on double hydrogen transfers within DNA base pairs is investigated by solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation (TDSE) for a one-dimensional double well potential, whilst accounting for environment coupling. The energies of the canonical (standard, amino-keto) and tautomeric (non-standard, imino-enol) charge-neutral forms of the adenine-thymine base pair (A-T and A*-T*, respectively) are calculated using density functional theory. These compare favourably to results in existing literature. The reaction pathway is also calculated using a transition state search to provide the barrier height and shape, and these are combined to create the potential using a polynomial fit. It is found that tunnelling is very unlikely to be a significant mechanism for the creation of adenine-thymine tautomers within DNA, with the anti-Zeno effect from environment coupling only being able to boost the tunnelling probability at any given time to ~2 x 10-9. This is barely increased when varying several parameters, such as barrier height, potential asymmetry, and mass (kinetic isotope effect). In addition, the general effect on a quantum system by its surrounding environment is explored. A novel comparison between two distinct methods of environment coupling - dissipation (via the addition of a Lindblad term to the master equation) and von Neumann measurements - is performed. This is done using a simpler model of benzoic acid dimer, where it is shown that the two methods describe the same physical process of decoherence and can be thought of as equivalent until the link between them breaks down at high temperatures and measurement frequencies.
The possible role of quantum effects in transfer of genetic information is studied. It's argued that the nucleotides selection during DNA replication is performed by means of proton tunneling between nucleotide and DNA-polimerase bound by hydrogen bonds. Such mechanism is sensitive to the structure of nucleotide hydrogen bonds, consequently only one nucleotide sort is captured by DNA-polimerase in each event.The algorithm of this multistep selection mechanism is also analysed from the point of its optimality. It's shown that it's equivalent to Grover algorithm of data base search.
DNA contains all of the genetic information necessary to grow and sustain life and it is designed in such a way as to be remarkably stable despite it’s complexities. This paper discusses the inherent quantum mechanical nature of the hydrogen bonds in DNA nucleotides, specically the occurrence of proton tunneling within the hydrogen bond and the implications this has on the integrity of DNA replication as a whole. This paper also touches upon the eect radiation has on the frequency of proton tunneling in hydrogen bonds and the deleterious results it has on DNA replication integrity.
Abstract We propose a novel mutation mechanism for points and ordinary or palindromic sequences of DNA and RNA. We adopted non-Hermitian approaches based on quantum mechanics. Hermiticity is in the limelight of any physical structure with quantum character, like DNA, or RNA, as it creates quantum stability in that it yields real eigenvalues and orthonormal states. We show that, through the mutation mechanism we constructed based on non-Hermitian physics, the deterioration of the Hermitian character of the original DNA states, nucleotides, does not create a stability problem. We show that Weyl’s perturbation theory helps us determine the stability of mutated DNA or RNA. We prove that mutations made in the laboratory with conventional nucleotides using non-Hermitian physics methods are not different from mutations that occur spontaneously in nature. This result may help to reveal the quantum nature of genetic diseases in the near future and may shape the molecular approaches.