Power-Dependent Rearrangement in the Spectrum of Resonance Effect of Millimeter Waves on the Genome Conformational State of Escherichia Coli Cells

Abstract

The Escherichia coli cells K12 AB1157 from the stationary stage of growth were exposed to millimeter waves (MMW) at power densities (PD) from 10−8 W/cm2 to 3 × 10−3 W/cm2. Frequency dependencies during exposure within the range of 51.655–51.688 GHz were studied for two cell concentrations (4 × 107 and 4 × 108 cells/ml). The changes in the genome conformational state (GCS) were analyzed by the method of anomalous viscosity time dependence (AVTD). The resonant effect with the resonance frequency of 51.675 ± 0.001 GHz was observed in the PD range of 10−18-10−8 W/cm2. Left-handed polarized MMW was shown to be more effective than right-handed circular polarization at this resonance. At PDs more than 10−6 W/cm2 the 51.675 GHz resonance effect decreased significantly. As the 51.675 GHz resonance decreased, a statistically significant effect was observed with its maximum at 51.668 ± 0.002 GHz. The results were compared to data of previous studies performed at the resonance frequency of 51.755 GHz. All resonance effects depended on the concentration of cells during exposure, which implies a cell-to-cell interaction during resonance response (cooperativity of resonance response). At all resonance frequencies, an effect was observed at very low nonthermal intensities: 10−18 W/cm2 for 51.755 GHz and 51.675 GHz; 10−14 W/cm2 for 51.668 GHz. The values of three resonance frequencies were stable in wide PD ranges within 10−18-10−3 W/cm2. The half-widths of the resonances showed different dependencies on PD, changing from 2–3 MHz to 16–17 MHz (51.675 GHz, 51.668 GHz) or 100 MHz (51.755 GHz). The significant rearrangement in the spectrum of resonance response was observed in the 10−8-10−4 W/cm2. All three resonances were involved in this rearrangement which can be explained in the framework of the model of electron-conformational interactions.