EPL, 88 (2009) 68001
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/88/68001

Energy transfer in nonlinear network models of proteins

F. Piazza¹ and Y.-H. Sanejouand<sup>2

1</sup>   Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratoire de Biophysique Statistique, ITP-SB - BSP-720, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
²   Laboratoire U3B, UMR 6204 du CNRS, Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques - 2, rue de la Houssinière, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France, EU

Francesco.Piazza@epfl.ch
Yves-Henri.Sanejouand@univ-nantes.fr

received 19 October 2009; accepted in final form 18 November 2009; published December 2009
published online 21 December 2009

Abstract
We investigate how nonlinearity and topological disorder affect the energy relaxation of local kicks in coarse-grained network models of proteins. We find that nonlinearity promotes long-range, coherent transfer of substantial energy to specific functional sites, while depressing transfer to generic locations. In some cases, transfer is mediated by the self-localization of discrete breathers at distant locations from the kick, acting as efficient energy-accumulating centers.

PACS
87.15.-v - Biomolecules: structure and physical properties.
63.20.Pw - Localized modes.
05.45.-a - Nonlinear dynamics and chaos.

© EPLA 2009