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Preparation of Segmented Microtubules to Study Motions Driven by the Disassembling Microtubule Ends
Published on: March 15, 2014
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Microtubule Defects Influence Kinesin-Based Transport In Vitro
Winnie H Liang1, Qiaochu Li1, K M Rifat Faysal1
1Department of Physics, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, California.
Biophysical Journal
|May 26, 2016
Summary
Microtubule defects impact molecular motor transport. Fewer motors caused cargo to detach, while more motors caused pausing, revealing a direct link between microtubule structure and kinesin motor function.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Molecular Motors
Background:
- Microtubules serve as essential intracellular highways for molecular motor-driven transport.
- This transport is vital for eukaryotic cell survival and function.
- The impact of structural microtubule defects on motor transport is largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how microtubule structural defects affect molecular motor-based transport.
- To establish a direct link between microtubule defects and motor function.
Main Methods:
- Developed a novel approach using modified optical trapping.
- Examined the collective function of conventional kinesin motors transporting cargo along individual microtubules.
Main Results:
- Microtubule defects were found to influence kinesin-based transport in vitro.
- Cargos with fewer motors detached prematurely.
- Cargos with more motors exhibited pausing behavior.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first direct evidence linking microtubule defects to kinesin motor function.
- Observed effects may have physiological relevance in living cells.
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