title: Dynamic guiding of motor-driven microtubules on electrically heated, smart polymer tracks.
abstract: Biomolecular motor systems are attractive for future nanotechnological devices because they can replace nanofluidics by directed transport. However, the lack of methods to externally control motor-driven transport along complex paths limits their range of applications. Based on a thermo-responsive polymer, we developed a novel technique to guide microtubules propelled by kinesin-1 motors on a planar surface. Using electrically heated gold microstructures, the polymers were locally collapsed, creating dynamically switchable tracks that successfully guided microtubule movement.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics , 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Korten
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Linke
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maximov
mesh_terms: D004735:Energy Transfer; D006361:Heating / Q000379:methods; D016547:Kinesins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009038:Motion; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: C488101:KIF5B protein, human; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D016547:Kinesins