What determines sub-diffusive behavior in crowded protein solutions?

ABSTRACT: The aqueous environment inside cells is densely packed. A typical cell has a macromolecular concentration in the range 90-450 g/L, with 5%-40% of its volume being occupied by macromolecules, resulting in what is known as macromolecular crowding. The space available for the free diffusion of metabolites and other macromolecules is thus greatly reduced, leading to so-called excluded volume effects. The slow diffusion of macromolecules under crowded conditions has been explained using transient complex formation. However, sub-diffusion noted in earlier works is not well characterized, particularly the role played by transient complex formation and excluded volume effects. We have used Brownian dynamics simulations to characterize the diffusion of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 in protein solutions

SUBMITTER: Kompella VPS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10808025 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature