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Updated: Aug 16, 2025

Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation
Published on: February 12, 2022
Stochastic model of translocation of knotted proteins
Karol Capała1, Piotr Szymczak2
1Personal Health Data Science Group, Sano - Centre for Computational Personalised Medicine, Czarnowiejska 36, 30-054 Kraków, Poland and Institute of Theoretical Physics, Department of Statistical Physics, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Kraków, Poland.
Abstract:
Knotted proteins, when forced through the pores, can get stuck if the knots in their backbone tighten under force. Alternatively, the knot can slide off the chain, making translocation possible. We construct a simple energy landscape model of this process with a time-periodic potential that mimics the action of a molecular motor. We calculate the translocation time as a function of the period of the pulling force, discuss the asymptotic limits and biological relevance of the results.
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