Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026
13:44
Sealable Femtoliter Chamber Arrays for Cell-free Biology
Published on: March 11, 2015
10.0K
Active diffusion of model chromosomal loci driven by athermal noise.
Takahiro Sakaue1, Takuya Saito2
1Department of Physics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan. sakaue@phys.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
Soft Matter
|June 15, 2016
Summary
Active diffusion, driven by athermal noise, is explored in flexible polymers. Polymeric effects influence anomalous diffusion, potentially explaining chromosomal locus dynamics in cells.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Biophysics
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Active diffusion is observed in systems far from equilibrium.
- Understanding the dynamics of polymers and their components is crucial in various scientific fields.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nature of active diffusion for tagged monomers within a flexible polymer.
- To elucidate how polymer properties affect anomalous diffusion dynamics.
Main Methods:
- A scaling argument was employed.
- The concept of tension propagation was utilized to analyze the system.
Main Results:
- The study clarifies the polymeric effect on the anomalous diffusion exponent.
- A connection between polymer dynamics and diffusion behavior was established.
Conclusions:
- The findings provide insights into the anomalous diffusion of tagged monomers in flexible polymers.
- The results may be relevant for understanding the dynamics of chromosomal loci in living cells.
Related Concept Videos
02:32Position-effect Variegation
7.2K
In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
7.2K
02:11Forces Acting on Chromosomes
4.1K
During mitosis, chromosome movements occur through the interplay of multiple piconewton level forces. In prometaphase, these forces help in chromosome assembly or congression at the equatorial plane, eventually leading to their alignment at the metaphase plate. The forces acting on the chromosomes are space and time-dependent; therefore, they vary with the position of the chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis.
Microtubules and motor proteins exert two types of forces on...
Microtubules and motor proteins exert two types of forces on...
4.1K
02:11Forces Acting on Chromosomes
1.9K
1.9K
02:35Chromatin Position Affects Gene Expression
25.1K
Chromatin is the massive complex of DNA and proteins packaged inside the nucleus. The complexity of chromatin folding and how it is packaged inside the nucleus greatly influences access to genetic information. Generally, the nucleus' periphery is considered transcriptionally repressive, while the cell's interior is considered a transcriptionally active area.
Topologically Associated Domains (TADs)
The 3-dimensional positioning of chromatin in the nucleus influences the...
Topologically Associated Domains (TADs)
The 3-dimensional positioning of chromatin in the nucleus influences the...
25.1K
01:09Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
65.7K
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
65.7K
03:33Genetic Drift
45.0K
Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.
45.0K