Directional movement of F-actin in vitro.
By a fluorescence microscopic method for visualizing single filaments of F-actin in solutions, we have investigated movement of F-actin in a motility system in vitro. It was found that, when F-actin and myosin were mixed in the presence of Mg2+-ATP under appropriate conditions, individual F-actin filaments continued moving in different directions, but in parallel to their length, for a long period of time. The actin filaments did not reverse their direction of movement and had a distribution of speed with the maximum at about 5 micron per second (at 27 degrees C).
D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009068:Movement; D009218:Myosins / Q000502:physiology; D014741:Video Recording
D000199:Actins; D009218:Myosins