IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/phsmap/v327y2003i1p151-156.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Replication ratchets: polymer transport enhanced by complementarity

Author

Listed:
  • Cocho, G.
  • Cruz, A.
  • Martı́nez-Mekler, G.
  • Salgado-Garcı́a, R.

Abstract

We show that a rudimentary model of two complementary polymer chains confined to a quasi-one-dimensional geometry, each one interacting separately with a fixed particle via a ratchet potential, can be reformulated in terms of one polymer subject to a ratchet potential produced by its interaction with a dumbbell (or effective dimer). In the over-dampened regime, we look at transport properties when the system is under zero mean periodic external forcing. For a piece-wise linear asymmetric potential we exhibit the general mechanism by which the average mean velocity of a single polymer is enhanced by complementarity. We show that same behavior holds for a continuous ratchet potential. We relate this modelling to primitive molecular replication machines operating in outer space origin of life scenarios and argue that complementarity is not only essential to transcription but may also contribute to the efficiency of the dynamics involved in the replication process.

Suggested Citation

  • Cocho, G. & Cruz, A. & Martı́nez-Mekler, G. & Salgado-Garcı́a, R., 2003. "Replication ratchets: polymer transport enhanced by complementarity," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 327(1), pages 151-156.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:327:y:2003:i:1:p:151-156
    DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(03)00468-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378437103004680
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only. Journal offers the option of making the article available online on Science direct for a fee of $3,000
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/S0378-4371(03)00468-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:327:y:2003:i:1:p:151-156. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/physica-a-statistical-mechpplications/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.