Makromolekulare Verdrängung (Macromolecular crowding)
Die Illustration einer E.coli Zelle verdeutlicht, dass im Zellinnern Makromoleküle in sehr hoher Konzentration vorhanden sind. Insbesondere für Makromoleküle verringert sich dadurch das Volumen der zugänglichen intrazellulären Flüssigkeit. Die erhöhte effektive Konzentration erleichtert die Bildung makromolekularer Komplexe.
Escherichia coli
This illustration shows a cross-section of a small portion of an Escherichia coli cell. The cell wall, with two concentric membranes studded with transmembrane proteins, is shown in green. A large flagellar motor crosses the entire wall, turning the flagellum that extends upwards from the surface. The cytoplasmic area is colored blue and purple. The large purple molecules are ribosomes and the small, L-shaped maroon molecules are tRNA, and the white strands are mRNA. Enzymes are shown in blue. The nucleoid region is shown in yellow and orange, with the long DNA circle shown in yellow, wrapped around HU protein (bacterial nucleosomes). In the center of the nucleoid region shown here, you might find a replication fork, with DNA polymerase (in red-orange) replicating new DNA. © David S. Goodsell 1999. Used with permission.Folgender Artikel behandelt unter anderem quantitative Aspekte der makromolekularen Verdrängung:
Ellis 2001, Trends Biochem Sci. - "Macromolecular crowding: obvious but underappreciated"