Selective assembly and alignment of actin filaments with desired polarity on solid substrates.
We report a new strategy to selectively assemble and align filamentous actin (F-actin) onto desired locations on a solid substrate with a specific structural polarity. In this strategy, biotinylated gelsolin caps the structural minus end of F-actin so that the F-actin binds onto a streptavidin pattern with a specific structural polarity. We also demonstrate that an electric field can be utilized to align bound F-actin along a desired direction. This can be one of the major technical breakthroughs toward the assembly of nanomechanical systems based on myosin biomotors.
Huang
Ling
L
Department of Physics and MARTECH, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA.
Manandhar
Pradeep
P
Byun
Kyung-Eun
KE
Chase
P Bryant
PB
Hong
Seunghun
S
D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001710:Biotin / Q000737:chemistry*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D000199:Actins; D001710:Biotin