Directed transport as a mechanism for protein folding in vivo

摘要

We propose a model for protein folding in vivo based on a Brownian ratchet mechanism in themultidimensional energy landscape space. The device is able to produce directed transport takingadvantage of the assumed intrinsic asymmetric properties of the proteins and employing theconsumption of energy provided by an external source. Through such a directed transportphenomenon, the polypeptide finds the native state starting from any initial state in the energylandscape with great efficacy and robustness, even in the presence of different types of obstacles.This model solves Levinthal's paradox without requiring biased transition probabilities but at theexpense of opening the system to an external field.