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. 2006;34(9):2550–2557. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkl271

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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

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Diffusion mechanisms for a protein (oval) to reach its DNA target site (black rectangle) on a segment of DNA (open rectangle). The leftmost protein is using linear diffusion (sliding) to randomly search along the DNA molecule for the target. The middle protein is using multiple dissociation/association (hopping) events. It takes two random steps towards the target but then hops away from the target and then onto another DNA segment. The rightmost protein has two DNA-binding sites and can bridge between different DNA segments during its search for the target.