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Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Dissecting Mechanoenzymatic Properties of Processive Myosins with Ultrafast Force-Clamp Spectroscopy
Published on: July 1, 2021
Pinpointing mechanochemical bond rupture by embedding the mechanophore into a macrocycle
Doreen Schütze1, Katharina Holz, Julian Müller
1Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Olshausenstraße 40, 24098 Kiel (Germany) http://ravel.pctc.uni-kiel.de/
Abstract:
Mechanophores contain a mechanically labile bond that can be broken by an external mechanical force. Quantitative measurement and control of the applied force is possible through atomic force microscopy (AFM). A macrocycle was synthesized that contains both the mechanophore and an aliphatic chain that acts as a "safety line" upon bond breaking. This ring-opening mechanophore unit is linked to poly(ethylene glycol) spacers, which allow investigation by single molecule force spectroscopy. The length increase upon rupture of the mechanophore was measured and compared with quantum chemical calculations.
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