A torque component present in mitotic kinesin Eg5 revealed by three-dimensional tracking.
Mitotic kinesin Eg5 is a homotetrameric molecular motor that cross-links and slides microtubules. The extent to which Eg5 moves processively is not clear. Here we use three-dimensional tracking of a quantum dot attached to the microtubule in a motility assay to directly visualize the corkscrew motion of a sliding microtubule. We show that the rotational pitch of microtubule sliding conveniently reports on the processivity of the driving motors, confirming that two-headed Eg5 is much less processive than two-headed kinesin-1.
Yajima
Junichiro
J
Department of Physics, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, 171-8588 Tokyo, Japan.
Mizutani
Kana
K
Nishizaka
Takayuki
T
D006801:Humans; D016547:Kinesins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D008938:Mitosis; D012399:Rotation; D019415:Torque
C470243:KIF11 protein, human; D016547:Kinesins