Fluctuation-induced hydrodynamic coupling in an asymmetric, anisotropic dumbbell

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical model for an asymmetric, anisotropic dumbbell to understand how internal fluctuations and hydrodynamic interactions influence its diffusion, with implications for biomolecular transport.

Contribution

It provides an analytic expression for the diffusion coefficient of an asymmetric, anisotropic dumbbell considering internal and external symmetry effects.

Findings

Diffusion coefficient depends on asymmetry and anisotropy.

Internal fluctuations can reduce overall diffusion.

Hydrodynamic interactions influence biomolecular transport.

Abstract

We recently introduced a model of an asymmetric dumbbell made of two hydrodynamically coupled subunits as a minimal model for a macromolecular complex, in order to explain the observation of enhanced diffusion of catalytically active enzymes. It was shown that internal fluctuations lead to negative contributions to the overall diffusion coefficient and that the fluctuation-induced contributions are controlled by the strength of the interactions between the subunits and their asymmetry. We develop the theory further by studying the effect of anisotropy of the constituents on the diffusion properties of a modular structure. We derive an analytic form for the diffusion coefficient of an asymmetric, anisotropic dumbbell and show systematically its dependence on the internal and external symmetry. We give expressions for the associated polarisation fields, and comment on their consequences for the alignment mechanism of the dumbbell. The present work opens the way to more detailed descriptions of the effect of hydrodynamic interactions on the diffusion and transport properties of biomolecules with complex structures.