Energetics and efficiency of a molecular motor model

TL;DR

This paper analytically investigates the energetics and efficiency of a molecular motor model, revealing that realistic motor dynamics significantly reduce the efficiency at maximum power due to dissipation.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analytical analysis of a molecular motor model, highlighting the impact of full motor dynamics on efficiency.

Findings

Efficiency at maximum power is reduced from 10% to about 0.1%.

Strong dissipation significantly affects motor efficiency.

Full motor dynamics lower efficiency compared to heuristic models.

Abstract

The energetics and efficiency of a linear molecular motor model proposed by Mogilner et al. (Phys. Lett. 237, 297 (1998)) is analyzed from an analytical point of view. The model which is based on protein friction with a track is described by coupled Langevin equations for the motion in combination with coupled master equations for the ATP hydrolysis. Here the energetics and efficiency of the motor is addressed using a many body scheme with focus on the efficiency at maximum power (EMP). It is found that the EMP is reduced from about 10 pct in a heuristic description of the motor to about 1 per mille when incorporating the full motor dynamics, owing to the strong dissipation associated with the motor action.