A general two-cycle network model of molecular motors

Molecular motors are single macromolecules that generate forces at the piconewton range and nanometer scale. They convert chemical energy into mechanical work by moving along filamentous structures. In this paper, we study the velocity of two-head molecular motors in the framework of a mechanochemical network theory. The network model, a generalization of the recently work of Liepelt and Lipowsky [Steffen Liepelt, Reinhard Lipowsky, Kinesins network of chemomechanical motor cycles, Physical Review Letters 98 (25) (2007) 258102], is based on the discrete mechanochemical states of a molecular motor with multiple cycles. By generalizing the mathematical method developed by Fisher and Kolomeisky for a single cycle motor [Michael E. Fisher, Anatoly B. Kolomeisky, Simple mechanochemistry describes the dynamics of kinesin molecules, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 98 (14) (2001) 7748-7753], we are able to obtain an explicit formula for the velocity of a molecular motor.