Analytical catch-slip bond model for arbitrary forces and loading rates.

Abstract

Some biological bonds exhibit a so-called catch regime, where the bond strengthens with increasing load. We build upon recent advances in slip-bond kinetics to develop an analytically tractable, microscopic catch-slip bond model. To facilitate the analysis of force-spectroscopy data, we calculate the bond's mean lifetime and the rupture-force distribution for static loading and linear force ramps. Our results are applicable for arbitrary forces and loading rates, covering the whole range of conditions found in experiments and all-atom simulations. A generalization to account for force transducers of finite stiffness is also provided.