Research Article
Detachment of Microtubules Driven by Kinesin Motors from Track Surfaces Under External Force
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-030-92163-7_16, author={May Sweet and Takahiro Nitta}, title={Detachment of Microtubules Driven by Kinesin Motors from Track Surfaces Under External Force}, proceedings={Bio-Inspired Information and Communications Technologies. 13th EAI International Conference, BICT 2021, Virtual Event, September 1--2, 2021, Proceedings}, proceedings_a={BICT}, year={2022}, month={1}, keywords={Biomolecular motor Cytoskeletal filaments Computer simulation}, doi={10.1007/978-3-030-92163-7_16} }- May Sweet
Takahiro Nitta
Year: 2022
Detachment of Microtubules Driven by Kinesin Motors from Track Surfaces Under External Force
BICT
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-92163-7_16
Abstract
Motor proteins, such as myosin and kinesin, are biological molecular motors involved in force generation and material transport in living cells. Motor proteins and their associated cytoskeletal filaments, such as actin filaments and microtubules, have been utilized for active transport in engineered systems. In controlling the active transport, external forces via electric fields or fluid flow were commonly used. A drawback of using external force is that the external force can cause detachment of microtubules from gliding surfaces. Detachment leads to loss of cargo or sparse surface density of microtubules, thus limiting the availability of external forces. Detachment should be minimized. In doing so, detailed observation on the process of detachment would be helpful. However, due to its limited spatial and temporal resolution, experimental investigations are hampered. Here, we show a simulation study for the detachment of microtubules gliding over surfaces coated with kinesin motors by an external force. Owing to the computer simulation’s high spatial and time resolution, two modes of detachment were found. Detailed processes of the two modes were revealed, which would be useful to diminish detachment.
