title: Transport and self-organization across different length scales powered by motor proteins and programmed by DNA.
abstract: In eukaryotic cells, cargo is transported on self-organized networks of microtubule trackways by kinesin and dynein motor proteins. Synthetic microtubule networks have previously been assembled in vitro, and microtubules have been used as shuttles to carry cargoes on lithographically defined tracks consisting of surface-bound kinesin motors. Here, we show that molecular signals can be used to program both the architecture and the operation of a self-organized transport system that is based on kinesin and microtubules and spans three orders of magnitude in length scale. A single motor protein, dimeric kinesin-1, is conjugated to various DNA nanostructures to accomplish different tasks. Instructions encoded into the DNA sequences are used to direct the assembly of a polar array of microtubules and can be used to control the loading, active concentration and unloading of cargo on this track network, or to trigger the disassembly of the network.
authors.affiliation: Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
authors.forename: Adam J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wollman
authors.affiliation: Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Cano
authors.affiliation: Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
authors.forename: Helen M J
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Carstairs
authors.affiliation: Warwick Medical School, Gibbet Hill, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.affiliation: Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Turberfield
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004398:Dyneins / Q000737:chemistry*; D016547:Kinesins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D004398:Dyneins; D016547:Kinesins