Spatially Inhomogeneous Search Strategies

Abstract

The efficiency of intracellular reactions which are driven by motor-assisted transport strongly depends on the spatial organization of the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is a highly complex filament network which is generally neither homogeneous nor isotropic. In cells with a centrosome, microtubules emanate radially from the center, whereas actin filaments populate the cortex underneath the plasma membrane in a random manner. While intermittent search strategies with stochastic transitions between a slow reactive phase and a fast non-reactive phase have been shown to be advantageous in homogeneous, isotropic environments, the effect of a realistic global cytoskeleton topology has only very recently gained scientific interest. In this chapter, we review the progress in analyzing the efficiency of spatially inhomogeneous search strategies.