Germanium nanospheres for ultraresolution picotensiometry of kinesin motors

Kinesin motors are essential for the transport of cellular cargo along microtubules. How the motors step, detach, and cooperate with each other is still unclear. To dissect the molecular motion of kinesin-1, we developed germanium nanospheres as ultraresolution optical trapping probes. We found that...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2021-02, Vol.371 (6530)
Main Authors: Sudhakar, Swathi, Abdosamadi, Mohammad Kazem, Jachowski, Tobias Jörg, Bugiel, Michael, Jannasch, Anita, Schäffer, Erik
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism
ATP
Biological Transport
Brownian motion
Cargo transportation
Cell division
Cell size
Center of mass
Chain dynamics
Coupling (molecular)
Cytoskeleton
Detaching
Diameters
Electromagnetic absorption
Energy storage
Force measurement
Germanium
Heat
Hydrolysis
Image transmission
Infrared lasers
Kinesin
Kinesin - chemistry
Kinesin - metabolism
Kinetics
Laser beam heating
Lipid Bilayers
Lipids
Load
Load distribution
Load distribution (forces)
Medical imaging
Microspheres
Microtubules
Microtubules - metabolism
Models, Biological
Nanoparticles
Nanospheres
Neurodegenerative diseases
Optical Tweezers
Probes
Proteins
Refractivity
Single Molecule Imaging
Stress concentration
Synchronism
Synchronization
Transmission electron microscopy
Trapping
Vesicles
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Summary:Kinesin motors are essential for the transport of cellular cargo along microtubules. How the motors step, detach, and cooperate with each other is still unclear. To dissect the molecular motion of kinesin-1, we developed germanium nanospheres as ultraresolution optical trapping probes. We found that single motors took 4-nanometer center-of-mass steps. Furthermore, kinesin-1 never detached from microtubules under hindering load conditions. Instead, it slipped on microtubules in microsecond-long, 8-nanometer steps and remained in this slip state before detaching or reengaging in directed motion. Unexpectedly, reengagement and thus rescue of directed motion was more frequent. Our observations broaden our knowledge on the mechanochemical cycle and slip state of kinesin. This state and rescue need to be accounted for to understand long-range transport by teams of motors.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.abd9944