title: Integration of motor proteins - towards an ATP fueled soft actuator.
abstract: We present a soft bio-machine constructed from biological motors (actin/myosin). We have found that chemically cross-linked polymer-actin complex gel filaments can move on myosin coated surfaces with a velocity as high as that of native F-actin, by coupling to ATP hydrolysis. Additionally, it is shown that the velocity of polymer-actin complex gel depends on the species of polycations binding to the F-actins. Since the design of functional actuators of well-defined size and morphology is important, the structural behavior of polymer-actin complexes has been investigated. Our results show that the morphology and growth size of polymer-actin complex can be controlled by changes in the electrostatic interactions between F-actins and polycations. Our results indicate that bio actuators with desired shapes can be created by using a polymer-actin complex.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kakugo
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shikinaka
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Jian Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gong