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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Cargo Loading onto Kinesin Powered Molecular Shuttles
Published on: November 3, 2010
Loading and unloading of molecular cargo by DNA-conjugated microtubule
Shu Taira1, Yong-Zhong Du, Yuich Hiratsuka
1Institute for Biological Resources and Functions, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan.
Abstract:
We developed a novel method to load and unload molecular cargos to and from microtubules (MTs) that move on kinesin-coated surfaces. Quantum dots (Qds) (molecular cargo) connected to 21-mer DNA can be selectively loaded on DNA-conjugated MTs through DNA hybridization. The average velocity of the Qd-loaded MTs (0.43 +/- 0.06 microm s(-1) at 25 degrees C) was comparable to that of control MTs. In addition, MTs conjugated with two types DNA sequences can achieve multiloading of Qds. To unload Qd molecular cargos from MTs, the DNA double helix connecting Qds to MTs were cleaved by an appropriate restriction enzyme. This biomolecular motors-based transport system should enable us to construct nanometer-scale devices such as nanobiosensor, nanofluidic system, or nanomachine.
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