Kinetic and mesoscopic non-equilibrium description of the Ca(2+) pump: a comparison

Entropy production in mesoscopic stochastic thermodynamics: nonequilibrium kinetic cycles driven by chemical potentials, temperatures, and mechanical forces

Nonequilibrium thermodynamics (NET) investigates processes in systems out of global equilibrium. On a mesoscopic level, it provides a statistical dynamic description of various complex phenomena such as chemical reactions, ion transport, diffusion, thermochemical, thermomechanical and mechanochemical fluxes. In the present review, we introduce a mesoscopic stochastic formulation of NET by analyzing entropy production in several simple examples. The fundamental role of nonequilibrium steady-state cycle kinetics is emphasized. The statistical mechanics of Onsager's reciprocal relations in this context is elucidated. Chemomechanical, thermomechanical, and enzyme-catalyzed thermochemical energy transduction processes are discussed. It is argued that mesoscopic stochastic NET in phase space provides a rigorous mathematical basis of fundamental concepts needed for understanding complex processes in chemistry, physics and biology. This theory is also relevant for nanoscale technological advances.

Mesoscopic non-equilibrium thermodynamic analysis of molecular motors

We show that the kinetics of a molecular motor fueled by ATP and operating between a deactivated and an activated state can be derived from the principles of non-equilibrium thermodynamics applied to the mesoscopic domain. The activation by ATP, the possible slip of the motor, as well as the forward stepping carrying a load are viewed as slow diffusion along a reaction coordinate. Local equilibrium is assumed in the reaction coordinate spaces, making it possible to derive the non-equilibrium thermodynamic description. Using this scheme, we find expressions for the velocity of the motor, in terms of the driving force along the spacial coordinate, and for the chemical reaction that brings about activation, in terms of the chemical potentials of the reactants and products which maintain the cycle. The second law efficiency is defined, and the velocity corresponding to maximum power is obtained for myosin movement on actin. Experimental results fitting with the description are reviewed, giving a maximum efficiency of 0.45 at a myosin headgroup velocity of 5 × 10(-7) m s(-1). The formalism allows the introduction and test of meso-level models, which may be needed to explain experiments.