Zinc-Related Magnetic Isotope Effect in the Enzymatic ATP Synthesis: A Medicinal Potential of the Nuclear Spin Selectivity Phenomena

The rate of enzymatic ATP synthesis is shown to depend on the zinc isotopes. The ATP producing activities of creatine kinase and pyruvate kinase in which Zn2+ ions have magnetic nuclei 67Zn are found to be 2-6 times higher than that of enzymes in which Zn2+ ions have nonmagnetic nuclei 64Zn. The isolated rat heart muscle mitochondria exhibit a similar effect. An expression of this magnetic isotope effect in enzymatic ATP synthesis processed in the presence of Zn2+ ions is in a favor to the ion-radical mechanism of ATP production occurred within a high zinc concentration range. Both fundamental aspect and a possible pharmacological significance of the phenomenon described are under discussion.