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Updated: May 21, 2026

A Method for Evaluating Timeliness and Accuracy of Volitional Motor Responses to Vibrotactile Stimuli
Published on: August 2, 2016
Tuning multiple motor travel via single motor velocity
Jing Xu1, Zhanyong Shu, Stephen J King
1Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. jing.xu@ucmerced.edu
Abstract:
Microtubule-based molecular motors often work in small groups to transport cargos in cells. A key question in understanding transport (and its regulation in vivo) is to identify the sensitivity of multiple-motor-based motion to various single molecule properties. Whereas both single-motor travel distance and microtubule binding rate have been demonstrated to contribute to cargo travel, the role of single-motor velocity is yet to be explored. Here, we recast a previous theoretical study, and make explicit a potential contribution of velocity to cargo travel. We test this possibility experimentally, and demonstrate a strong negative correlation between single-motor velocity and cargo travel for transport driven by two motors. Our study thus discovers a previously unappreciated role of single-motor velocity in regulating multiple-motor transport.
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