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Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Characterizing the Composition of Molecular Motors on Moving Axonal Cargo Using "Cargo Mapping" Analysis
Published on: October 30, 2014
Synchronization of elastically coupled processive molecular motors and regulation of cargo transport
Felix Kohler1, Alexander Rohrbach1
1Laboratory for Bio- and Nano-Photonics, Department of Microsystems Engineering-IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Germany and Centre for Biological Signalling Studies (bioss), University of Freiburg, Germany.
Abstract:
The collective work of motor proteins plays an important role in cellular transport processes. Since measuring intermotor coupling and hence a comparison to theoretical predictions is difficult, we introduce the synchronization as an alternative observable for motor cooperativity. This synchronization can be determined from the ratio of the mean times of motor resting and stepping. Results from a multistate Markov chain model and Brownian dynamics simulations, describing the elastically coupled motors, coincide well. Our model can explain the experimentally observed effect of strongly increased transport velocities and powers by the synchronization and coupling of myosin V and kinesin I.
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