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Interacting head mechanism of microtubule-kinesin ATPase

Y Z Ma1, E W Taylor

  • 1Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.

Insights

Kinesin dimers (K379) exhibit distinct head affinities for mant ADP compared to monomers (K332), influencing nucleotide binding and release kinetics. This suggests an interacting site model for processive movement.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Motor Proteins

Background:

  • Kinesin motors are crucial for intracellular transport, utilizing ATP hydrolysis to generate force.
  • Understanding the kinetic and equilibrium properties of kinesin constructs is essential for elucidating their mechanism of action.
  • Previous models, like Hackney's alternating site model, provide a framework for kinesin function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the kinetic and equilibrium properties of monomeric (K332) and dimeric (K379) kinesin constructs.
  • To investigate the binding affinities and dissociation rates of 2'-(3')-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl) adenosine 5'-diphosphate (mant ADP) for different kinesin states.
  • To explore the mechanism of nucleotide binding and release in dimeric kinesin and its implications for processivity.

Main Methods:

  • Fluorescence-based assays to measure binding and dissociation kinetics of mant ADP.
  • Comparison of kinetic parameters (affinity, rate constants) between monomeric and dimeric kinesin constructs.
  • Analysis of nucleotide binding curves (mant ADP and mant ATP) to determine concentration dependence.

Main Results:

  • Dimeric kinesin (K379) possesses distinct high and low affinity binding sites for mant ADP, unlike monomeric kinesin (K332) with a single low affinity site.
  • Dissociation rates of mant ADP differ significantly between the high (<1 s⁻¹) and low (75-100 s⁻¹) affinity sites of K379, and the effective rate for K332 is 200-300 s⁻¹.
  • Nucleotide binding curves show an 'S'-shaped dependence for K379 and hyperbolic for K332, indicating cooperative or independent binding, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • The dimeric kinesin likely has two functionally distinct heads interacting differently with microtubules, one strongly bound with low ADP affinity and the other weakly bound with high ADP affinity.
  • Binding of ATP to one head of the dimer is necessary for the release of ADP from the other head, supporting an interacting site model.
  • This interacting site model, an extension of the alternating site model, provides a mechanistic basis for kinesin processivity.

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