Direct observation of motion of single F-actin filaments in the presence of myosin.
Actin is found in almost all kinds of non-muscle cells where it is thought to have an important role in cell motility. A proper understanding of that role will only be possible when reliable in vitro systems are available for investigating the interaction of cellular actin and myosin. A start has been made on several systems, most recently by Sheetz and Spudich who demonstrated unidirectional movement of HMM-coated beads along F-actin cables on arrays of chloroplasts exposed by dissection of a Nitella cell. As an alternative approach, we report here the direct observation by fluorescence microscopy of the movements of single F-actin filaments interacting with soluble myosin fragments energized by Mg2+-ATP.
D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology*; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009218:Myosins / Q000502:physiology*; D010590:Phalloidine; D014335:Tropomyosin / Q000502:physiology; D014336:Troponin / Q000502:physiology
D000199:Actins; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D014335:Tropomyosin; D014336:Troponin; D010590:Phalloidine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D009218:Myosins