title: The stepping motor protein as a feedback control ratchet.
abstract: It is explained how going from a one headed motor protein to a stepping two headed motor protein is equivalent to going from a stochastically flashing ratchet to a feedback control ratchet. Both these ratchets have been well studied in the literature and their speeds and efficiencies are briefly reviewed. Next it is shown how a feedback control ratchet mechanism model can account for very accurate recent data obtained on kinesin. Finally, the role of internal friction in the operation of stepping motor proteins is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. bierm@ecu.edu
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D005246:Feedback; D017276:Friction; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008954:Models, Biological; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009038:Motion; D009068:Movement; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D049490:Systems Biology
chemical_list: D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins