HYDROGEN-BONDED CHAINS WITH LARGE PROTON POLARIZABILITY DUE TO COLLECTIVE PROTON MOTION - PATHWAYS FOR PROTONS IN BIOLOGICAL-MEMBRANES

Hydrogen-bonded chains may show very large proton polarizability due t o collective proton motion if they are largely symmetrical. This resul t was first obtained with polylysine + dihydrogenphosphate and with po lyglutamic acid + dihydrogenphosphate systems, respectively. These sys tems cause intense IR continua, demonstrating their large proton polar izability. This proton polarizability was studied in detail with intra molecular hydrogen-bonded systems and results of these studies are ext ensively discussed in this paper. Such hydrogen-bonded chains are very effective proton pathways in biology. They can easily be regulated by local electrical fields and by specific interactions. Two such pathwa ys are discussed, the one in the L-550 intermediate in the bacteriorho dopsin molecule and the pathway in the F-0 subunit of the ATP synthase .