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Motor-driven microtubule diffusion in a photobleached dynamical coordinate system.

Soichi Hirokawa1, Heun Jin Lee1, Rachel A Banks2

  • 1Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.

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|September 10, 2024
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Summary

Active motor proteins drive microtubule network contraction and diffusion. This study quantizes motor-driven cytoskeletal remodeling, revealing competition between global contraction and local diffusion dynamics.

Keywords:
active mattercytoskeletonphotobleaching

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular mechanics
  • Biophysics
  • Cytoskeletal dynamics

Background:

  • Motor-driven cytoskeletal remodeling exhibits diffusive-like effects at local scales.
  • Distinguishing active contraction from active diffusion in filament networks is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interplay between active contraction and diffusive-like motion in microtubule networks.
  • To quantify the contributions of motor proteins to network dynamics using controlled photobleaching.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized light-dimerizable kinesin motors to control microtubule network formation and contraction.
  • Employed photobleaching of a grid pattern to create a dynamic coordinate system for observing network deformation.
  • Tracked the deformation and translation of fluorescent microtubule network segments.

Main Results:

  • Microtubule network contraction rate is determined by motor speed.
  • A diffusive-like spread occurs within the contracting network, with an effective diffusion constant two orders of magnitude lower than free diffusion.
  • On micron scales, the diffusive timescale is only approximately 3 times slower than advection.

Conclusions:

  • Both global network contraction and long-time relaxation from diffusive behavior are motor-driven.
  • Local competition exists between contraction and diffusion within the bulk of the microtubule network.