Passage times for unbiased polymer translocation through a narrow pore.
We study the translocation process of a polymer in the absence of external fields for various pore diameters b and membrane thickness L. The polymer performs Rouse and reptation dynamics. The mean translocation time (tau(t)) that the polymer needs to escape from a cell and the mean dwell time (tau(d)) that the polymer spends in the pore during the translocation process obey scaling relations in terms of the polymer length N, L, and b/R(g), where R(g) is the radius of gyration for the polymer. We explain these relations using simple arguments based on polymer dynamics and the equilibrium properties of polymers.
Wolterink
Joanne Klein
JK
Institute for Theoretical Physics, Universiteit Utrecht, Minnaertgebouw, Leuvenlaan 4, Postbus 80.195, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Barkema
Gerard T
GT
Panja
Debabrata
D
D001692:Biological Transport; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D011108:Polymers