Phase Dynamics in Linear and Nonlinear Multi-Track Models of Active Molecular Transport

Intracellular transport processes are fundamental to cell health. Breakdown in transport is linked to onset of several diseases. This is particularly true for neurons, for which deficiencies in active transport processes have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanism by which such deficient transport emerges is an open question. In this talk, we introduce a model of neuronal transport that explicitly takes into account the number of tracks that are available for active transport to occur. We ask how the number of available tracks impacts macroscopic flux of material through the neuron and answer this question by partitioning model behavior in parameter space. We also describe a biophysical mechanism that could drive transport breakdown.