title: Theory for ligand rebinding at cell membrane surfaces.
abstract: Conditions for which a ligand reversibly bound to a cell surface dissociates and then rebinds to the surface have been theoretically examined. The coupled differential equations that describe reaction at the interface between sites on a plane and three-dimensional solution have been described previously (Thompson, N. L., T. P. Burghardt, and D. Axelrod. 1981. Biophys. J. 33:435-454). Here, we use this theoretical formalism to provide an analytical solution for the spatial and temporal dependence of the probabilities of finding a molecule on the surface or in the solution, given initial placement on the surface at the origin. This general analytical solution is used to derive a simple expression for the probability that a molecule rebinds to the surface at a given position and time after release at the origin and time zero. The probability expressions provide fundamental equations that form a basis for subsequent modeling of ligand-receptor interactions in specific geometries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-3290, USA.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lagerholm
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D008024:Ligands; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011336:Probability; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands