Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 22: Molecular Machines

BP 22.5: Talk

Thursday, March 29, 2007, 10:45–11:00, H43

Optimal flexibility for conformational transitions in macromolecules — •Richard Neher¹, Wolfram Möbius¹, Erwin Frey¹, and Ulrich Gerland² — ¹Arnold-Sommerfeld-Center for Theoretical Physics, LMU München — ²Institute for Theoretical Physics, Universität zu Köln

Conformational transitions in macromolecules often involve the rotation of extended lever-like structures. We show, that the transition rate is drastically accelerated by a flexible hinge in the lever and that the transition is fastest at an optimal stiffness of the hinge. Near the optimal stiffness, the rate decreases only weakly when cargo is attached to the lever, which might be exploited by molecular motors. To describe our simulation data, we generalize the Kramers-Langer theory to configuration dependent mobility matrices.