A MARKOV CHAIN-BASED MODEL FOR ACTOMYOSIN DYNAMICS

Abstract

We propose a stochastic model based on a continuous-time Markov chain to describe certain features of the displacements performed by single myosin heads along actin filaments during the chemical cycle of an ATP molecule. We obtain an expression of the transient probabilities of the model and determine a continuous approximation of the chain by a Wiener-type diffusion process subject to jumps and restricted between two reflecting boundaries.