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Alanazi_MS_thesis.pdf (3.76 MB)
ETD Abstract Container
Abstract Header
Coarse-grained model for a motor protein on a microtubule
Author Info
Alanazi, Mansour Awadh, Alanazi
Permalink:
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1515161903658569
Abstract Details
Year and Degree
2017, Master of Science, University of Akron, Physics.
Abstract
The function of cells relies on the transport of substances within the cell. In eukaryotic cells, active transport by motor proteins moving on a substrate plays an important role. The goal of this thesis is to model a motor protein walking on a microtubule substrate. For the microtubule, we employ a micromechanical model from the literature that has been derived from a coarse-grained site model. This allows us to calculate deformations of microtubules with finite element methods. The sites of the microtubule interact with the head sites of a coarse-grained model for a motor protein walker. We perform Brownian dynamics simulations of the walker on a fixed microtubule substrate. To evaluate the efficiency of the walker, we calculate the average displacements along the coordinate directions and the average distance traveled by the protein. To improve the efficiency we changed protein model parameters that affect the size and separation of the protein head groups. Best results were obtained when the size of the protein head group is compatible with the helical spacing of microtubule interaction sites.
Committee
Jutta Luettmer-Strathmann, PhD (Advisor)
Sasa Dordevic, PhD (Committee Chair)
Mark Taylor, PhD (Committee Member)
Pages
52 p.
Subject Headings
Biophysics
;
Physics
Keywords
microtubule, motor protein, coarse-grained model, Brownian dynamics, simulations
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Citations
Alanazi, Alanazi, M. A. (2017).
Coarse-grained model for a motor protein on a microtubule
[Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1515161903658569
APA Style (7th edition)
Alanazi, Alanazi, Mansour.
Coarse-grained model for a motor protein on a microtubule.
2017. University of Akron, Master's thesis.
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center
, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1515161903658569.
MLA Style (8th edition)
Alanazi, Alanazi, Mansour. "Coarse-grained model for a motor protein on a microtubule." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1515161903658569
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
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Document number:
akron1515161903658569
Download Count:
312
Copyright Info
© 2017, some rights reserved.
Coarse-grained model for a motor protein on a microtubule by Mansour Awadh Alanazi Alanazi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.