title: Are rotors at the heart of all biological motors?
abstract: Biological motors are generally divided into two classes: 1) rotary motors. These include ATP synthase (F0-F1) and the bacterial flagellar motor which are driven by proton and Na+ gradients., 2) linear motors. Myosin, kinesin and dynein are considered to be such motors, F-actin and microtubules serving as passive "tracks". However, data is presented which suggests that the actin filaments rotate in shortening muscle. Microtubules also have been reported to rotate upon interacting with kinesin and dynein. Axial protein rotation thus appears to be a common fundamental characteristic of actin- and of microtubule-based motility systems, in addition to F0-F1 and the bacterial motor. An analysis is carried out of the way ATP hydrolysis and randomly moving protons can induce rotation. It is concluded that all four engines are driven by water jets, thus operating like water turbines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oplatka
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D003285:Contractile Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005407:Flagella / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000502:physiology; D012399:Rotation
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D003285:Contractile Proteins; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases