Multiple-Motor-Based Transport

Abstract

Intra-cellular transport via processive molecular motors plays an important role in maintaining cell structure and function. In many cases, cargoes move distances longer than expected for single motors; there is significant evidence that this increased travel is in part due to multiple motors working together to move cargoes. However, while we understand much about the function of single motors both experimentally and theoretically, our understanding of how multiple motors work together to move cargoes is less developed. We start with a Monte-Carlo model of single motor to theoretically investigate how multiple motors work together. We have investigated the effect of non-linear force-velocity curves and stochastic load sharing on multiple motor transport using stochastic model. We are particularly interested in cargo transport by a few molecular motors which is motivated by in-vivo results that only a few motors are engaged to transport cargo. Predictions for average travel distances and mean velocities obtained from stochastic model are significantly different from those predicted using steady-state model. Our theoretical study of multiple motor transport using stochastic model also shows that single-motor force-velocity curve plays an important role in determining the ensemble function when only a few motors are engaged.