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- Intermediate filaments in the retinal Muller cells as natural light energy guidesPublication . Khmelinskii, Igor; Makarov, VladimirIn the current study, we investigated transmission spectrum of the intermediate filaments (IFs) extracted from porcine retinal Muller cells (MC). The recorded transmission spectrum is quite similar to that of the entire guinea pig retina, providing direct proof that the quantum mechanism (QM) of light energy transmission through the inverted retina is in fact the main mechanism determining the high-contrast vision of the vertebrate eyes. The recorded transmission spectrum of the IFs was deconvoluted into four bands, which we assign to different types of IFs. We interpret the differences in the transmission band shape and maxima as differences in the effective electron mass, dependent on the IF structure and composition of its constituting proteins. We analyzed model systems containing IFs and dye molecules, and IFs bridging two adjacent cobalt nanofilms on a substrate. The respective results demonstrate that IFs function as waveguides transferring energy from an energy donor and to an energy acceptor, by way of the exchange mechanism. The presently reported results provide direct experimental confirmation of the earlier proposed quantum mechanism for the high-contrast vision of vertebrate eyes. The mechanism proposed in the current study may be generalized, providing a consistent alternative to Davydov's theory of vibrational solitons in enzymes.
- Optical transparency and electrical conductivity of intermediate filaments in Muller cells and single-wall carbon nanotubesPublication . Khmelinskii, Igor; Makarov, VladimirPresently we investigated the electrical conductivity and optical transparency of Muller cell intermediate filaments. For comparison, the same properties were also explored in the model system of single-wall carbon nanotubes. We report the method of separation and purification of porcine (Sus scrofa domestica) intermediate filaments, extracted from the retinal Muller cells. We also report experimental and theoretical methods of measurements and calculations of the resistivity and light transmission yield by the intermediate filaments and single wall carbon nanotubes. The measured resistivity values were (4.7 +/- 0.3) x 10(-4) and (2.8 +/- 0.2) x 10(-4) Omega.m(-1).cm(2) at 5 degrees C (278 K), for the intermediate filaments and single wall carbon nanotubes, respectively, being quite close to those of typical metals. We report a method for measuring the light energy transmission by these nanostructures. We found that they efficiently transfer excitation energy along their axis, with the light reemitted at their other end. The measured yields of transferred light energy were 0.50 +/- 0.03 and 0.26 +/- 0.02 for intermediate filaments and single wall carbon nanotubes, respectively (lambda(exc) = 546.1 nm