Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 6, 2026
08:06
Identification of Kinesin-1 Cargos Using Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: February 14, 2016
8.4K
pH responsive ATP carriers to drive kinesin movement
Jieling Li1, Yi Jia, Weiguang Dong
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Institute of Chemistry, CAS Key Lab of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China. jbli@iccas.ac.cn.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|July 18, 2015
Summary
Multilayer film coated calcium carbonate (CaCO3) microspheres act as pH-responsive carriers for adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Oxygen scavengers trigger CaCO3 decomposition, releasing ATP to power kinesin movement.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Kinesin motors require adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for movement along microtubules.
- Controlling ATP delivery is crucial for regulating kinesin-based transport systems.
- Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) microspheres offer potential as drug delivery vehicles due to their degradability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop pH-responsive calcium carbonate (CaCO3) microspheres for controlled adenosine triphosphate (ATP) delivery.
- To investigate the use of these microspheres as carriers to drive kinesin motor protein movement.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of multilayer film coated CaCO3 microspheres.
- Loading of ATP into the CaCO3 microspheres.
- Incorporation of microspheres into a kinesin-microtubule system.
- Induction of microsphere decomposition using oxygen scavengers.
Main Results:
- The developed CaCO3 microspheres demonstrated pH-responsive ATP release.
- The release of ATP from decomposed microspheres effectively drove kinesin-microtubule motility.
- Oxygen scavengers successfully triggered the decomposition of the ATP-loaded microspheres.
Conclusions:
- Multilayer film coated CaCO3 microspheres are effective pH-responsive carriers for ATP.
- This system provides a novel method for controlled ATP delivery to kinesin motors.
- The findings open possibilities for advanced biomotor applications and targeted delivery systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:43The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles
7.3K
In eukaryotic cells, cytoskeletal filaments such as actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments form a mesh-like cytoskeletal network. These filaments serve as tracks for transporting cellular cargo. Specialized motor proteins use the chemical energy stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for this transport. During interphase, microtubules are polarized, with the plus-end towards the cell periphery and the minus-end towards the cell center. Two microtubule-associated motor proteins,...
7.3K
01:32Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins
11.7K
Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...
11.7K
01:27ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview
10.5K
ATP-driven pumps, also known as transport ATPases, are integral membrane proteins. They have binding sites for ATP located on the membrane's cytosolic side and the ion-conducting domain in the transmembrane region. These pumps use the free energy released from ATP hydrolysis to move the solutes across cell membranes against an electrochemical gradient.
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and...
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and...
10.5K
01:42The ADP/ATP Carrier Protein
4.7K
ADP/ATP carrier or AAC protein is the most abundant carrier protein in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It transports large quantities of ADP and ATP, equivalent to the average human body weight, every day. Among other transporters, ACC protein is one of the best-studied members of the mitochondrial carrier protein family. The ADP/ATP carrier protein comprises two transmembrane helices connected to a loop and a single alpha-helix on the matrix side. It switches between two conformational...
4.7K
01:18ATP Synthase: Structure
17.8K
ATP synthase or ATPase is among the most conserved proteins found in bacteria, mammals, and plants. This enzyme can catalyze a forward reaction in response to the electrochemical gradient, producing ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate. ATP synthase can also work in a reverse direction by hydrolyzing ATP and generating an electrochemical gradient. Different forms of ATP synthases have evolved special features to meet the specific demands of the cell. Based on their specific feature, ATP...
17.8K
01:34ATP Driven Pumps II: P-type Pumps
6.9K
The P-type pumps are a large family of integral membrane transporter ATPases. They are divided into five major types based on substrate specificity, from I to V.
A typical P-type pump has three cytosolic domains: nucleotide-binding (N), phosphorylation (P), and activator (A) domains. These domains are connected to the membrane-spanning helices by short amino acid segments. ATP hydrolysis and covalent phosphoenzyme intermediate formation are crucial parts of the catalytic cycle. At the highly...
A typical P-type pump has three cytosolic domains: nucleotide-binding (N), phosphorylation (P), and activator (A) domains. These domains are connected to the membrane-spanning helices by short amino acid segments. ATP hydrolysis and covalent phosphoenzyme intermediate formation are crucial parts of the catalytic cycle. At the highly...
6.9K