At its core mitochondrial function relies on redox reactions. Electrons stripped from nutrients are used to form NADH and NADPH, electron carriers that are similar in structure but support different functions. NADH supports ATP production but also generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide (O2(·-)) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). NADH-driven ROS production is counterbalanced by NADPH whi...

Reduction–oxidation (redox) reactions provide a distinct modality for biological communication that is fundamentally different from the more-familiar ion-based electrical modality. Biology uses these two modalities through systems (immune versus nervous), and mechanisms to control flow of charge carriers: soluble ions controlled using structural barriers (i.e., membranes) gates (e.g., membrane-...

Oxidoreductases mediate electron transfer (i.e., redox) reactions across the tree of life and ultimately facilitate the biologically driven fluxes of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur on Earth. The core enzymes responsible for these reactions are ancient, often small in size, and highly diverse in amino acid sequence, and many require specific transition metals in their active site...

Square-wave voltammetry of surface redox reactions is considered as an adequate model for a protein-film voltammetric setup. Here we develop a theoretical approach to analyze the effects of temperature on square-wave voltammograms. The performed simulations address the surface redox reactions featuring slow, modest and fast electron transfer. The theoretical calculations show that the temperatu...