A mini-review of the diffusion dynamics of DNA-binding proteins: experiments and models

Abstract

In the course of various biological processes, specific DNA-binding proteins must efficiently find a particular target sequence/protein or a damaged site on the DNA. DNA-binding proteins perform this task based on diffusion. Nevertheless, investigations over recent decades have found that the diffusion dynamics of DNA-binding proteins are generally complicated and, further, protein specific. In this review, we collect experimental and theoretical studies that quantify the diffusion dynamics of DNA-binding proteins and review them from the viewpoint of diffusion processes.