Modeling the electrical conduction in DNA nanowires: charge transfer and lattice fluctuation theories

Energy Transport along α-Helix Protein Chains: External Drives and Multifractal Analysis

Energy transport within biological systems is critical for biological functions in living cells and for technological applications in molecular motors. Biological systems have very complex dynamics supporting a large number of biochemical and biophysical processes. In the current work, we study the energy transport along protein chains. We examine the influence of different factors such as temperature, salt concentration, and external mechanical drive on the energy flux through protein chains. We obtain that energy fluctuations around the average value for short chains are greater than for longer chains. In addition, the external mechanical load is the most effective agent on bioenergy transport along the studied protein systems. Our results can help design a functional nano-scaled molecular motor based on energy transport along protein chains.

Comment on "Modeling the electrical conduction in DNA nanowires: Charge transfer and lattice fluctuation theories"

In a recent paper [S. Behnia and S. Fathizadeh, Phys. Rev. E 91, 022719 (2015)10.1103/PhysRevE.91.022719] an analytical approach is proposed for the investigation of the conductivity properties of DNA. The authors use mean Lyapunov exponent methods as the backbone of their approach and try to interpret properties of the system based on its behavior. Their interpretation regarding the change in nature of the mean Lyapunov exponent at the denaturation temperatures and discussions of stability and instability based on the mean Lyapunov exponent method are questioned. Moreover there is misunderstanding between mean Lyapunov exponent and Lyapunov exponent.