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. 1993 Jul;65(1):316–324. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(93)81035-X

Cellular motions and thermal fluctuations: the Brownian ratchet.

C S Peskin 1, G M Odell 1, G F Oster 1
PMCID: PMC1225726  PMID: 8369439

Abstract

We present here a model for how chemical reactions generate protrusive forces by rectifying Brownian motion. This sort of energy transduction drives a number of intracellular processes, including filopodial protrusion, propulsion of the bacterium Listeria, and protein translocation.

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Selected References

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