Physical Mechanism of Energy Transduction in Biological Motors

蛋白马达在等温环境下工作时将化学能转化为机械能。负责能量转导的分子机制尚不清楚。目前的实验技术允许测量单个蛋白质马达的力和运动到皮牛顿和纳米的精度。本项目的重点是通过单分子实验数据揭示蛋白质马达的能量转导机制。首先，研究人员开发了强大而有效的工具，用于从测量的电机位置时间序列中提取电机动力剖面。电机动力分布图显示了电机驱动力与电机位置的关系。它包含有关运动机构的信息。研究者还探讨了除了电机力剖面之外，还可以从实验数据中提取什么。所开发的理论和数值工具对于一般的反应扩散过程的研究是有用的。然后，研究者应用开发的工具来研究动力蛋白和其他蛋白质马达的力产生机制。在整个模型构建过程中，我们向实验同事提出了新的实验建议，以解决未解决的问题。蛋白质马达在许多细胞功能中起着核心作用。例如，肌凝蛋白驱动肌肉收缩；在有丝分裂过程中，运动蛋白驱动细胞内囊泡运输并移动染色体。了解蛋白质运动的运作原理对于理解生物系统如何运作至关重要。它对生物工程应用也很重要：人工控制蛋白质马达，将蛋白质马达整合到人工系统中，以及制造纳米级人工马达。该项目旨在从实验结果中揭示蛋白质马达的工作原理。在实验室中，可以记录单个蛋白质马达的时间过程。研究者开发了理论工具，从记录的时间过程中恢复动力剖面。然后对力的产生机理进行了研究。

Wang Protein motors convert chemical energy to mechanical workwhile operating in an isothermal environment. The molecularmechanism responsible for the energy transduction is still notclear. The current experimental technologies permit measuringforces and motions of a single protein motor to the precision ofpiconewtons and nanometers. The main focus of this project is touncover the energy transduction mechanism of protein motors fromsingle molecule experimental data. First, the investigatordevelops robust and effective tools for extracting the motorforce profile from the measured time series of motor position.The motor force profile shows the motor driving force as afunction of motor position. It contains information about themotor mechanism. The investigator also explores what else besidesthe motor force profile can be extracted from the experimentaldata. The theoretical and numerical tools developed are usefulfor the studies of reaction diffusion processes in general. Then,the investigator applies the tools developed to study the forcegeneration mechanism of kinesin and other protein motors.Throughout the model building, new experiments are suggested toexperimental colleagues to resolve the unsettled issues. Protein motors play a central role in many cell functions.For example, myosin drives muscle contraction; kinesin drivesintracellular vesicle transportation and moves chromosomes duringmitosis. Understanding the operating principles of protein motorsis crucial to comprehending how biological systems function. Itis also important to bioengineering applications: controllingprotein motors artificially, incorporating protein motors intoartificial systems, and manufacturing nano-scale artificialmotors. This project seeks to reveal the operating principles ofprotein motors from experimental results. In laboratories, thetime course of a single protein motor can be recorded. Theinvestigator eas develop theoretical tools to recover the motorforce profile from the recorded time courses. Then the forcegeneration mechanism is investigated.