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Updated: Nov 2, 2025

The Mechanics of Poro-Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton
Published on: March 10, 2023
Quantitative description of a contractile macromolecular machine.
Alec Fraser1, Nikolai S Prokhorov1, Fang Jiao2,3
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics (SCSB), The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
Contractile injection systems (CISs) breach cell membranes using a contractile sheath-tube mechanism. This study quantifies the energy, heat, and force involved in pyocin contraction, revealing the nanomachine
Area of Science:
- Molecular biology
- Biophysics
- Microbiology
Background:
- Contractile injection systems (CISs), including type VI secretion systems (T6SS), phage tails, and tailocins, are protein nanomachines.
- These systems utilize a contractile sheath and rigid tube to penetrate cell walls and membranes.
- While the structures of CISs in pre- and postcontraction states are known, the contraction mechanism remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism of contraction in R-type pyocins, a type of CIS.
- To quantitatively describe the energy, force, and heat dynamics during pyocin contraction.
Main Methods:
- Integration of structural data from the R-type pyocin sheath-tube complex.
- Application of thermodynamic analyses.
- Utilisation of force spectroscopy.
- Development of an original modeling procedure.
Main Results:
- The study quantifies the activation energy for pyocin contraction at 160 kcal/mol.
- It reveals that pyocin contraction releases 2160 kcal/mol of heat.
- The contractile force generated exceeds 500 piconewtons.
Conclusions:
- The research provides a quantitative, experimental description of the CIS membrane penetration mechanism.
- The findings offer insights into the biophysical principles governing these biological nanomachines.
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