扭结的生物物理学。

Biophysics of knotting.

机构信息

Department of Nanoengineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.

出版信息

Annu Rev Biophys. 2010;39:349-66. doi: 10.1146/annurev.biophys.093008.131412.

DOI:10.1146/annurev.biophys.093008.131412

PMID:20192771

Abstract

Knots appear in a wide variety of biophysical systems, ranging from biopolymers, such as DNA and proteins, to macroscopic objects, such as umbilical cords and catheters. Although significant advancements have been made in the mathematical theory of knots and some progress has been made in the statistical mechanics of knots in idealized chains, the mechanisms and dynamics of knotting in biophysical systems remain far from fully understood. We report on recent progress in the biophysics of knotting-the formation, characterization, and dynamics of knots in various biophysical contexts.

摘要

结出现在各种各样的生物物理系统中，从生物聚合物，如 DNA 和蛋白质，到宏观物体，如脐带和导管。尽管在纽结的数学理论方面取得了重大进展，并且在理想化链中环结的统计力学方面也取得了一些进展，但生物物理系统中环结的机制和动力学仍远未完全理解。我们报告了生物物理纽结学的最新进展——各种生物物理背景下纽结的形成、特征和动力学。