A two-state model for helicase translocation and unwinding of nucleic acids

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dc.creatorGarai, Ashok
dc.creatorChowdhury, Debashish
dc.creatorBetterton, M. D.
dc.date2007-07-18
dc.date2008-04-21
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T09:44:20Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T09:44:20Z
dc.descriptionHelicases are molecular motors that unwind double-stranded nucleic acids (dsNA), such as DNA and RNA). Typically a helicase translocates along one of the NA single strands while unwinding and uses adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis as an energy source. Here we model of a helicase motor that can switch between two states, which could represent two different points in the ATP hydrolysis cycle. Our model is an extension of the earlier Betterton-Jülicher model of helicases to incorporate switching between two states. The main predictions of the model are the speed of unwinding of the dsNA and fluctuations around the average unwinding velocity. Motivated by a recent claim that the NS3 helicase of Hepatitis C virus follows a flashing ratchet mechanism, we have compared the experimental results for the NS3 helicase with a special limit of our model which corresponds to the flashing ratchet scenario. Our model accounts for one key feature of the experimental data on NS3 helicase. However, contradictory observations in experiments carried out under different conditions limit the ability to compare the model to experiments.
dc.descriptionminor modifications
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/0707.2766
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/0707.2766
dc.identifierPhysical Review E, vol. 77, 061910 (2008).
dc.identifierdoi:10.1103/PhysRevE.77.061910
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/162834
dc.subjectBiological Physics
dc.titleA two-state model for helicase translocation and unwinding of nucleic acids
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