title: Metrics for characterizing collective transport by multiple dimeric kinesins.
abstract: Kinesin is a processive molecular motor which transports various cellular cargos by converting chemical energy into mechanical movements. Although the motion of a single molecule has been characterized in several studies, the dynamics of collective transport remains controversial. Since the chemical reactions fueling molecular motors are stochastic processes, the movements of coupled motors are not perfectly synchronized. The goal of this study is to develop metrics to analyze the level of synchronization of coupled (stochastic) motors. The correlation among movements of coupled motors, the slackness, the cooperativity, and the power loss of kinesins are explored using the developed metrics. These metrics can be extended to characterize collective work done by other molecular motors also.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. wcnam@umich.edu
authors.forename: Woochul
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Bogdan I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Epureanu
authors.forename: Bogdan I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Epurenau
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D025461:Feedback, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D016547:Kinesins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D016547:Kinesins