Tuning the performance of an artificial protein motor

Nathan J. Kuwada, Martin J. Zuckermann, Elizabeth H. C. Bromley, Richard B. Sessions, Paul M. G. Curmi, Nancy R. Forde, Derek N. Woolfson, and Heiner Linke

Phys. Rev. E 84, 031922 – Published 21 September 2011

Abstract

The Tumbleweed (TW) is a concept for an artificial, tri-pedal, protein-based motor designed to move unidirectionally along a linear track by a diffusive tumbling motion. Artificial motors offer the unique opportunity to explore how motor performance depends on design details in a way that is open to experimental investigation. Prior studies have shown that TW's ability to complete many successive steps can be critically dependent on the motor's diffusional step time. Here, we present a simulation study targeted at determining how to minimize the diffusional step time of the TW motor as a function of two particular design choices: nonspecific motor-track interactions and molecular flexibility. We determine an optimal nonspecific interaction strength and establish a set of criteria for optimal molecular flexibility as a function of the nonspecific interaction. We discuss our results in the context of similarities to biological, linear stepping diffusive molecular motors with the aim of identifying general engineering principles for protein motors.

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Received 22 March 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.84.031922

Authors & Affiliations

Nathan J. Kuwada^*

Department of Physics and Materials Science Institute, 1274 University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA and
Department of Physics, University of Washington, Box 351560, Seattle, Washington 98195

Martin J. Zuckermann