This article is cited in 10 papers

PHYSICS OF OUR DAYS

Microtubules: dynamically unstable stochastic phase-switching polymers

P. N. Zakharov^a, V. K. Arzhanik^b, E. V. Ulyanov^c, N. B. Gudimchuk^cda, F. I. Ataullakhanov<sup>cda

a</sup> Center for Theoretical Problems of Physicochemical Pharmacology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
^b Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
^c Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Physics
^d Federal Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, Moscow

Abstract: One of the simplest molecular motors, a biological microtubule, is reviewed as an example of a highly nonequilibrium molecular machine capable of stochastic transitions between slow growth and rapid disassembly phases. Basic properties of microtubules are described, and various approaches to simulating their dynamics, from statistical chemical kinetics models to molecular dynamics models using the Metropolis Monte Carlo and Brownian dynamics methods, are outlined.

Keywords: microtubule, GTP cap, mathematical modeling, dynamic instability.

PACS: 87.10.-e, 87.16.-b, 87.16.A-

Received: March 14, 2016
Revised: April 4, 2016
Accepted: April 12, 2016

DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.2016.04.037779

 English version: Physics–Uspekhi, 2016, 59:8, 773–786

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