Physical principles and models describing intracellular virus particle dynamics

Area of Science:

• Cellular biology
• Biophysics
• Quantitative modeling

Background:

• Cellular processes are often modeled using diffusion and chemical reaction theories.
• Single particle imaging advances allow visualization of viral trajectories within the cytoplasm.
• Biophysical models and mathematical analyses are crucial for understanding complex single viral trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing models of viral active motion and diffusion along the cytoskeleton.
• To present recent advancements in estimating global viral trafficking properties, including nuclear pore entry.
• To identify areas for future research in modeling viral motion control.

Main Methods:

• Review of biophysical models and mathematical analyses of viral trajectories.
• Analysis of diffusion and active motion models along the cytoskeleton.
• Estimation of viral trafficking properties like nuclear pore arrival probability and mean time.

Main Results:

• Models incorporating diffusion and active motion along the cytoskeleton are discussed.
• Methods for estimating viral particle transit to nuclear pores are presented.
• Current models primarily focus on motion and diffusion, with less emphasis on signaling pathways.

Conclusions:

• Quantitative modeling is essential for understanding viral dynamics in cellular biology.
• Further research is needed to model the signaling pathways that regulate viral motion.
• Integrating signaling pathway descriptions into models will enhance our understanding of viral trafficking.