Molecular Recognition as an Information Channel: The Role of Conformational Changes

Molecular recognition, which is essential in processing information in biological systems, takes place in a crowded noisy biochemical environment and requires the recognition of a specific target within a background of various similar competing molecules. We consider molecular recognition as a transmission of information via a noisy channel and use this analogy to gain insights on the optimal, or fittest, molecular recognizer. We focus on the optimal structural properties of the molecules such as flexibility and conformation. We show that conformational changes upon binding, which often occur during molecular recognition, may optimize the detection performance of the recognizer. We thus suggest a generic design principle termed `conformational proofreading' in which deformation enhances detection. We evaluate the optimal flexibility of the molecular recognizer, which is analogous to the stochasticity in a decision unit. In some scenarios, a flexible recognizer, i.e., a stochastic ...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: CORR
• Authors: Yonatan Savir, Tsvi Tlusty
• Keywords: Conformational Changes, CORR 2010, Education, Molecular Recognition, Molecular Recognizer