Response of the regulatory oscillatory behavior of copperII-containing ECTO-NOX proteins and of CuIICl2 in solution to electromagnetic fields med./bio.

To study the effects of electromagnetic fields on the regulatory oscillatory behavior of growth and redox-related copper^II-containing ECTO-NOX proteins and of Cu^IICl₂ in solution.

Some ECTO-NOX proteins appear to function as core oscillators of the cells' biological clock. ECTO-NOX proteins catalyze two enzymatic activities: hydroquinone and NADH oxidation and disulfide-thiol interchange, alternating with a regular period length. ECTO-NOX proteins carry out hydroquinone (NADH) oxidation for 12 min (with two maxima separated by 6 min) and then that activity rests. While the hydroquinone (NADH) oxidative activity rests, the proteins engage in disulfide-thiol interchange activity for 12 min (with three maxima separated by intervals of 4.5 min). That activity then rests and the cycle repeats. Both reactions require copper.

• isolated bio./chem. substance
• organelle/cell part
• intact cell/cell culture
• soybean plasma membranes; aqueous CuCl₂ solution; recombinant tNOX protein
• HeLa cell line (human adenocarcinoma cell line)

Data demonstrated that ECTO-NOX-/Cu^II-catalyzed oscillations in NADH oxidation are phased by exposure to low frequency electromagnetic fields (i.e. they caused a phase shift).
The authors conclude that these data of electromagnetic field effects on phasing of the Cu^II-related oscillatory rhythm of ECTO-NOX proteins demonstrates for the first time a molecular mechanism whereby electromagnetic fields might be sensed by the time keeping machinery of cells.