Abstract
In many subcellular force-generating systems, groups of motor proteins act antagonistically. Here, we present an experimental study of the tug of war between superprocessive kinesin-1 motors acting on antiparallel microtubule doublets in vitro. We found distinct modes of slow and fast movements, as well as sharp transitions between these modes and regions of coexistence. We compare our experimental results to a quantitative theory based on the physical properties of individual motors. Our results show that mechanical interactions between motors can collectively generate coexisting transport regimes with distinct velocities.
Highlights
Active transport and force generation, mediated by the collective operation of cytoskeletal motor proteins, is essential to build and maintain the spatial organization in living cells
We present an experimental study of the tug of war between superprocessive kinesin-1 motors acting on antiparallel microtubule doublets in vitro
We found distinct modes of slow and fast movements, as well as sharp transitions between these modes and regions of coexistence
Summary
Active transport and force generation, mediated by the collective operation of cytoskeletal motor proteins, is essential to build and maintain the spatial organization in living cells. Our results show that mechanical interactions between motors can collectively generate coexisting transport regimes with distinct velocities. We realized an antagonistic arrangement of motors by generating antiparallel microtubule doublets and studied their movement in gliding motility assays on surfaces coated with high densities of kinesin-1 [16] (Fig. 1).
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