Active diffusion of motor particles

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical study of motor particle movement on filament patterns, revealing enhanced diffusion regimes and significant increases in diffusion coefficients for micrometer-sized particles.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical model describing active diffusion of motor particles on patterned filaments, identifying three regimes influenced by walking distance and pattern mesh size.

Findings

Diffusion coefficient can be enhanced by up to two orders of magnitude.

Three distinct regimes of active diffusion are identified.

Enhanced diffusion depends on particle size and pattern parameters.

Abstract

The movement of motor particles consisting of one or several molecular motors bound to a cargo particle is studied theoretically. The particles move on patterns of immobilized filaments. Several patterns are described for which the motor particles undergo non-directed but enhanced diffusion. Depending on the walking distance of the particles and the mesh size of the patterns, the active diffusion coefficient exhibits three different regimes. For micrometer-sized motor particles in water, e.g., this diffusion coefficient can be enhanced by two orders of magnitude.