title: The nuclear pore complex mystery and anomalous diffusion in reversible gels.
abstract: The exchange of macromolecules between the cytoplasm and the nucleus of eukaryotic cells takes place through the nuclear pore complex (NPC), which contains a selective permeability barrier. Experiments on the physical properties of this barrier appear to be in conflict with current physical understanding of the rheology of reversible gels. This paper proposes that the NPC gel is anomalous and characterized by connectivity fluctuations. It develops a simplified model to demonstrate the possibility of enhanced diffusion constants of macromolecules trapped in such a gel.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, University of California-Los Angeles, 607 Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. tbickel@chem.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bickel
authors.forename: Robijn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruinsma
mesh_terms: D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000502:physiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D004058:Diffusion; D004735:Energy Transfer; D017276:Friction; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009038:Motion; D022022:Nuclear Pore / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D010539:Permeability; D016062:Porosity; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005782:Gels; D046911:Macromolecular Substances