Using Molecular Dynamics to Measure Transmembrane Protein Diffusion

Abstract

A number of recent experimental and theoretical studies have examined the relationship between protein diffusion rate in lipid membranes and the protein radius (R). Ramadurai et al. measured the diffusion coefficients for transmembrane proteins using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and they found that protein diffusion has a ln(1/R) dependence.1 This indicates that protein diffusion is weakly dependent on R, which agrees with the Saffman-Delbrück model.2 Previously, Gambin et al. measured transmembrane peptide and protein diffusion coefficients using fringe pattern photobleaching and found that the diffusion has a 1/R dependence.