Fractional diffusion of membrane receptors in endocytosis pathway

Abstract

Abstract. In this paper the diffusion model representing the motion of membrane receptors with respect to virus endocytosis is considered in the context of applied mechanics. The unexpected behaviour of the receptor density that moves from higher concentrations in the unbound phase to lower concentration at the right of the virus surface is accounted for introducing a mechanical drift term in the governing equation so that the difference of concentrations, higher in the bounded phase and lower in the unbounded phase is accounted for in the receptor motion. Additionally, a non-gaussian model of diffusion has been introduced in terms of fractional generalization of the Fick law.