화학공학소재연구정보센터
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol.480, No.1, 13-17, 2016
Theoretical estimate of the effect of thermal agitation on ribosome motion generated by stochastic microswimming
The effect of thermal agitation on ribosome motion is evaluated through the Peclet number, assuming that the ribosome is self-propelled along the mRNA during protein synthesis by a swimming stroke consisting of a cycle of stochastically-generated ribosome configurations involving its two subunits. The ribosome velocity probability distribution function is obtained, giving an approximately normal distribution. Its mean and variance together with an estimate of the in vivo free diffusion coefficient of the ribosome and using only configuration changes of small size, give a Peclet number similar to motor proteins and microorganisms. These results suggest the feasibility of the stochastic microswimming hypothesis to explain ribosome motion. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.