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AKB: Biologische Physik
AKB 50: Poster Session "Biological Physics"
AKB 50.29: Poster
Friday, March 12, 2004, 10:30–13:00, B
Filament depolimerization by motor molecules — •Gernot Klein1, Giovanni Cuniberti2, Karsten Kruse1, and Frank Jülicher1 — 1Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik komplexer Systeme, Dresden — 2Universitaet Regensburg, Regensburg
Motor proteins are specialized molecules which bind to filaments of the cytoskeleton and are able to generate forces. An unusual protein, closely related to kinesin motors is MCAK, which binds to microtubule ends and depolymerizes them (1),(2).
We study the process of MCAK binding to microtubules and subsequent depolymerization using stochastic models.Computer simulations of a one-dimensional hopping model are compared to the mean-field theory of the adopted discrete model.Our theory can explain how molecules accumulate at depolymerizing ends.
(1) A.W. Hunter, M.Caplow, D.L. Coy, W.O. Hancock, S. Diez, L.Wordeman, J. Howard; Mol. Cell, Vol 11, 445-457, 2003.
(2) R. Ohi, M.L. Coughlin, W.S. Lane, T. Mitchison; Dev. Cell, Vol.5, 309-321, 2003.