Dresden 2014 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 1: Molecular Motors

BP 1.4: Talk

Monday, March 31, 2014, 10:30–10:45, HÜL 386

Teams of molecular motors in optical traps from a theoretical perspective — •Florian Berger, Corina Keller, Stefan Klumpp, and Reinhard Lipowsky1 — Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany

Intracellular transport of cargos is achieved by the cooperative action of molecular motors, which pull the cargo along cytoskeletal filaments. A lot of single molecule studies together with theoretical considerations have contributed to develop a common understanding how single kinesin motor respond to an external force. However, it is far from obvious, how an external load force influence the dynamics of a small team of molecular motors. Starting from the single molecule properties, we introduce a theoretical framework for cooperative transport and study the response of a motor team to a constant force (force-feedback trap) and a time dependent force (stationary trap). Within in our simple description, we discuss the basic differences of these two measurement techniques and point out the implications for transport in a soft crowded environment.