Kinetic Proofreading

Abstract

Biochemistry and molecular biology rely on the recognition of structural complementarity between molecules. Molecular interactions must be both quickly reversible, i.e., tenuous, and specific. How the cell reconciles these conflicting demands is the subject of this article. The problem and its theoretical solution are discussed within the wider theoretical context of the thermodynamics of stochastic processes (stochastic thermodynamics). The solution—an irreversible reaction cycle that decreases internal error at the expense of entropy export into the environment—is shown to be widely employed by biological processes that transmit genetic and regulatory information.