Walks of molecular motors in two and three dimensions

TL;DR

This paper analytically studies the complex random walks of molecular motors in 2D and 3D, revealing enhanced diffusion along filaments and validating results with simulations.

Contribution

It provides the first analytical description of the probability distribution for bound and unbound molecular motors in two and three dimensions.

Findings

Diffusion is strongly enhanced parallel to the filament.

Analytical results agree with Monte Carlo simulations.

Provides insights into motor dynamics in cellular environments.

Abstract

Molecular motors interacting with cytoskeletal filaments undergo peculiar random walks consisting of alternating sequences of directed movements along the filaments and diffusive motion in the surrounding solution. An ensemble of motors is studied which interacts with a single filament in two and three dimensions. The time evolution of the probability distribution for the bound and unbound motors is determined analytically. The diffusion of the motors is strongly enhanced parallel to the filament. The analytical expressions are in excellent agreement with the results of Monte Carlo simulations.