Could quantum gravitation play a key role in the DNA metabolism and DNA replication and transcription?

TGD inspired quantum biology leads to the proposal that quantum gravitational variants of hydrogen bonds (HBs) and valence bonds assignable to metal atoms play a fundamental role in metabolism and biocatalysis.

DNA base pairs are connected by 2 (A-T) or 3 (G-C) hydrogen bonds (HBs): what could this mean from the point of view of DNA energy metabolism and from the point of view of the splitting of DNA double strand in DNA replication and transcription?

1. If these strands can appear as dark gravitational strands, the maximum of 2 (3) metabolic quanta could be liberated in A-T (G-C) pairs via a transformation to ordinary HBs. Could this serve as a yet-unidentified source of metabolic energy in the replication and transcription?
2. Could the dark/organic mono-phosphates of the double DNA strand serve as a source of metabolic energy for DNA transferred to the HBs connecting base pairs?
3. Suppose that the DDNA parallel to DNA corresponds to a sequence of gravitational HBs B_gr as loops associated with the organic phosphates. Codon would correspond to a bound state of dark protons associated with three dark gravitational HBs.

   Consider an ordinary HB A_ord associated with a base pair and B_gr associated with the corresponding dark/organic phosphate. Can one transform A_ord to A_gr to achieve the transfer of metabolic energy?

   Two reconnections for a HB pair (A_ord,B_gr) can transform the pair to (A_gr,B_ord). The gravitational dark proton and metabolic energy would be transferred to basepair from the organic phosphate, which itself would become an organic phosphate ion P₁^-.

   Note: Also the phospholipids of the cell membrane are accompanied by a monophosphate group. Also microtubules are accompanied by GMPs. Could they serve as metabolic energy sources in the cell membrane using the above described mechanism?

The splitting of HBs between base pairs (see this) plays a fundamental role in DNA opening necessary for DNA replication and transcription. These HBs must split during replication and transcription and many other processes such as selective recognition of DNA by proteins, regulation of RNA cleavage by site-specific mutations, and intermolecular interaction of proteins with their target DNA or RNA. Could the notion of gravitational HB provide insights about the process?

1. As the figures of (see this) illustrate, the base pairs of the double DNA/RNA strand have 2 or 3 HBs. HBs of type N-H...O and H-N...O and N-H...N (called imino HB) are possible. Imino HB appears for both A-T with 2 HBs and G-C with 3 HBs.

   Since the hydrogen of X-H...Y is nearer to Y than X, the splitting is expected to give X+ H-Y, X, Y in {N,O}. This is indeed the case when X and Y are different. However, the imino HB N-H...N actually splits to N-H + N rather than the expected N + H-N. An exchange of a hydrogen atom is said to occur.

2. The temporary formation of a gravitationally dark HB could explain how this is possible. The gravitationally dark proton is at a large distance from the N atoms so that they are in a symmetric position and both outcomes for the splitting are equally probable so that the exchange rate increases.
3. This requires a temporary transformation of N-H...N HB to a gravitationally dark HB. Could double reconnection transform the pair (A_ord,B_gr formed by N-H...N HB and dark HB of phosphate bond to (A_gr,B_ord), which then splits?

See the article Quantum gravitation and quantum biology in TGD Universe or the chapter with the same title.

For a summary of earlier postings see Latest progress in TGD.

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