Protein Diffusion on Charged Biopolymers: DNA versus Microtubule.

ABSTRACT: Protein diffusion in lower-dimensional spaces is used for various cellular functions. For example, sliding on DNA is essential for proteins searching for their target sites, and protein diffusion on microtubules is important for proper cell division and neuronal development. On the one hand, these linear diffusion processes are mediated by long-range electrostatic interactions between positively charged proteins and negatively charged biopolymers and have similar characteristic diffusion coefficients. On the other hand, DNA and microtubules have different structural properties. Here, using computational approaches, we studied the mechanism of protein diffusion along DNA and microtubules by exploring the diffusion of both protein types on both biopolymers. We found that DNA-binding and micr

SUBMITTER: Bigman LS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7300306 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature