The Living State

Abstract

As biologists we can contribute to quantum chemistry only by clearing up the mechanism of some of the biological processes, thereby opening the way to their quantum chemical analysis. We have tried to do this by isolating and identifying the central catalysts of those processes. One of us (A.S.-G.) studied biological oxidations first in the plants that turn dark on exposure to air such as potatoes, apples and pears. He found the central catalyst of these oxidations to be a catechol derivative that oxidized to o-diquinol which forms dark complexes with protein. After this, he turned to the oxidation of plants that do not turn dark and identified two catalysts, one of which was ascorbic acid, the other succinic acid. His third problem was the generation of motion, the function of muscle. This study led to the discovery of a new protein, which he discovered with I. Banga at the University of Szeged, Hungary. They called it “actin” because it made the inactive myosin act to contract. This discovery has an unusual history. It was never published because just when they were about to publish, Hitler occupied Hungary and Szent-Gyorgyi had to disappear “underground” separated from Banga and science. Our present interest is in the “Living State”, one of the most important phenomena, the central substance of which seems to be methoxyhydroquinone (1–6).