title: Electrical docking of microtubules for kinesin-driven motility in nanostructures.
abstract: We demonstrate localized electrical control of the docking of microtubules onto engineered kinesin-coated structures. After applying a voltage to a gold electrode, we observe an enhanced transport of microtubules from solution toward the surface and a subsequent increase of the amount of moving microtubule shuttles. Switching off the voltage leads to a partial detachment of microtubules from the surface. The surface coverage of microtubules, during both the docking and undocking events, follows an exponential time dependence. We provide a simple kinetic model, incorporating the equilibrium between free and surface-bound microtubules, that explains these data.
authors.affiliation: Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Section Molecular Biophysics, Delft University of Technology, Lorentweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martin G L
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: van den Heuvel
authors.forename: Christopher T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Butcher
authors.forename: Serge G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lemay
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.forename: Cees
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dekker
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D016547:Kinesins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D009038:Motion; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D016547:Kinesins