title: Asymptotic analysis of microtubule-based transport by multiple identical molecular motors.
abstract: We describe a system of stochastic differential equations (SDEs) which model the interaction between processive molecular motors, such as kinesin and dynein, and the biomolecular cargo they tow as part of microtubule-based intracellular transport. We show that the classical experimental environment fits within a parameter regime which is qualitatively distinct from conditions one expects to find in living cells. Through an asymptotic analysis of our system of SDEs, we develop a means for applying in vitro observations of the nonlinear response by motors to forces induced on the attached cargo to make analytical predictions for two parameter regimes that have thus far eluded direct experimental observation: (1) highly viscous in vivo transport and (2) dynamics when multiple identical motors are attached to the cargo and microtubule.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. scott.mckinley@ufl.edu
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McKinley
authors.forename: Avanti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Athreya
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fricks
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Kramer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins