Energy flow in biological system: Bioenergy transduction of V1-ATPase molecular rotary motor from E. hirae

Abstract

We classify research fields in biology into those on flows of materials, energy, and information. As a representative energy transducing machinery in biology, our research target, V1-ATPase from a bacterium Enterococcus hirae, a typical molecular rotary motor is introduced. Structures of several intermediates of the rotary motor are described and the molecular mechanism of the motor converting chemical energy into mechanical energy is discussed. Comments and considerations on the information flow in biology, especially on the thermodynamic entropy in quantum physical and biological systems, are added in a separate section containing the biologist friendly presentation of this complicated question.