title: Coordination and collective properties of molecular motors: theory.
abstract: Many cellular processes require molecular motors to produce motion and forces. Single molecule experiments have led to a precise description of how a motor works. Under most physiological conditions, however, molecular motors operate in groups. Interactions between motors yield collective behaviors that cannot be explained only from single molecule properties. The aim of this paper is to review the various theoretical descriptions that explain the emergence of collective effects in molecular motor assemblies. These include bidirectional motion, hysteretic behavior, spontaneous oscillations, and self-organization into dynamical structures. We discuss motors acting on the cytoskeleton both in a prescribed geometry such as in muscles or flagella and in the cytoplasm.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Curie, CNRS, Institut Curie, UPMC, 26 rue d'Ulm, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guérin
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prost
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Joanny
mesh_terms: D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D004548:Elasticity; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009068:Movement; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012212:Rheology; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins