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SHARMA AJEETK, CHOWDHURY DEBASHISH. TEMPLATE-DIRECTED BIOPOLYMERIZATION: TAPE-COPYING TURING MACHINES. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1142/s1793048012300083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
DNA, RNA and proteins are among the most important macromolecules in a living cell. These molecules are polymerized by molecular machines. These natural nano-machines polymerize such macromolecules, adding one monomer at a time, using another linear polymer as the corresponding template. The machine utilizes input chemical energy to move along the template which also serves as a track for the movements of the machine. In the Alan Turing year 2012, it is worth pointing out that these machines are "tape-copying Turing machines". We review the operational mechanisms of the polymerizer machines and their collective behavior from the perspective of statistical physics, emphasizing their common features in spite of the crucial differences in their biological functions. We also draw the attention of the physics community to another class of modular machines that carry out a different type of template-directed polymerization. We hope this review will inspire new kinetic models for these modular machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- AJEET K. SHARMA
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016, India
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Balasubramanian S. Genom-Entschlüsselung mit Hochgeschwindigkeitsverfahren: Bedeutung für Wissenschaft und Medizin. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201106707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Balasubramanian S. Decoding Genomes at High Speed: Implications for Science and Medicine. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2011; 50:12406-10. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201106707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2011] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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