How Interactions Control Molecular Transport in Channels

TL;DR

This paper investigates how interactions within channels influence molecular transport, revealing that interaction strength and site placement can optimize flux, with implications for understanding cellular processes.

Contribution

It introduces exactly solvable stochastic models to analyze the effects of interactions on molecular transport, highlighting optimal binding site placement and interaction strength.

Findings

Optimal transport occurs when binding sites are near pore entrances or exits.

Flux increases at certain optimal interaction strengths.

Interactions significantly modify particle current in channels.

Abstract

The motion of molecules across channels is critically important for understanding mechanisms of cellular processes. Here we investigate the mechanism of interactions in the molecular transport by analyzing exactly solvable discrete stochastic models. It is shown that the strength and spatial distribution of molecule/channel interactions can strongly modify the particle current. Our analysis indicates that the most optimal transport is achieved when the binding sites are near the entrance or exit of the pore. In addition, the role of intermolecular interactions is studied, and it is argued that an increase in flux can be observed for some optimal interaction strength. The mechanism of these phenomena is discussed.