Cooperative force generation of KIF1A Brownian motors.
KIF1A is a kinesin motor protein that can work processively in a monomeric (single-headed) form by using a noise-driven ratchet mechanism. Here, we show that the combination of a passive diffusive state and finite-time kinetics of adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis provides a powerful mechanism of cooperative force generation, implying for instance that ∼10 monomeric KIF1As can team up to become ∼100 times stronger than a single one. Consequently, we propose that KIF1A could outperform conventional (double-headed) kinesin collectively and thus explain its specificity in axonal trafficking. We elucidate the cooperativity mechanism with a lattice model that includes multiparticle transitions.
Departament d'Estructura i Constituents de la Matèria, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 647, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
David
D
Oriola
Jaume
J
Casademunt
D004058:Diffusion; D016547:Kinesins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D013269:Stochastic Processes
D016547:Kinesins