%0 Journal Article
%T Protein-DNA computation by stochastic assembly cascade
%A Roy Bar-Ziv
%A Tsvi Tlusty
%A Albert Libchaber
%J Quantitative Biology
%D 2010
%I arXiv
%R 10.1073/pnas.162369099
%X The assembly of RecA on single-stranded DNA is measured and interpreted as a stochastic finite-state machine that is able to discriminate fine differences between sequences, a basic computational operation. RecA filaments efficiently scan DNA sequence through a cascade of random nucleation and disassembly events that is mechanistically similar to the dynamic instability of microtubules. This iterative cascade is a multistage kinetic proofreading process that amplifies minute differences, even a single base change. Our measurements suggest that this stochastic Turing-like machine can compute certain integral transforms.
%U http://arxiv.org/abs/1008.0737v1