0.46 Terahertz wave irradiation inhibit transcription reaction in liposomes

Terahertz waves are absorbed by hydrogen bonds between water molecules and proteins, and low-frequency terahertz waves, in particular, have been reported to cause changes in protein function and inhibit cell division. In this study, we established an experimental system to irradiate liposomes containing T7 RNA polymerase for in vitro transcription reactions with terahertz waves in the absence of external fluid, and analyzed the resulting changes in transcription reaction efficiency. Terahertz wave irradiation at 460 GHz did not alter the shape of the liposomes, but the intraliposomal transcription reaction was non-thermally inhibited during irradiation, regardless of the energy per pulse. After irradiation, the transcription reaction efficiency was found to be higher than in non-irradiated samples. Since our experimental system allows for the analysis of a wide range of terahertz wave frequencies, pulse widths, pulse intervals, and energy levels, we can comprehensively explore the effects of terahertz waves on living organisms, an area that has been challenging to study in the past. This capability significantly broadens the potential applications of terahertz waves in future research.