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Physical theory of nucleo-cytoplasmic transport
From Q-bio
A. Zilman, S. Di Talia, B. Chait, M. Magnasco, M. Rout
- Abstract
- Proper functioning of all eukaryotic cells depends critically on the transport of macromolecules between the cell nucleus and the cytoplasm, which proceeds through the the nuclear pore complexes (NPC). Several characteristics of the NPC transport make it distinct from other common forms of biological transport. In addition to being central biological question, the transport through the NPC poses challenging physical problems. We develop a physical theory of transport through the NPC that explains its functional properties in terms of its structure. In particular, we propose a novel mechanism of selectivity enhancement that does not require input of metabolic energy. The theory can be extended to other signaling mechanisms, and suggests strategies for creation of artificial nano-molecular sorting devices.
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