Anomalous reaction kinetics and domain formation on crowded membranes

¹ Cellular Biophysics Group, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280 - D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany, EU
² Institut für Theoretische Physik - Philosophenweg 19, Universität Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany, EU
³ Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth - Universitätsstr. 30, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany, EU

^a matthias.weiss@uni-bayreuth.de

Received: 6 December 2010
Accepted: 28 February 2011

Abstract

Using particle-based simulations, we show that anomalous diffusion in two-dimensional (2D) environments induces a strongly fractal reaction kinetics, i.e. time-dependent rate coefficients. While non-classical kinetics is anticipated already for normal diffusion due to the compactness of Brownian motion in 2D, the effect is even more pronounced when particles move via subdiffusion. As a consequence, strong reactant segregation is observed. Based on these findings, we argue that the experimentally observed subdiffusion of proteins on biomembranes may serve as a means to foster biochemical reactions in well-defined “hot spots” without the need for diffusion barriers.