AI Article Synopsis
- The study explored how myosin filaments move along actin filaments using laser tweezers to manipulate single actin filaments suspended between microbeads.
- Results showed that when myosin-coated beads were dragged, they slid along the actin at 3-5 micrometers per second, initially moving in zigzag patterns.
- It was concluded that myosin-actin interactions are weak and affected by thermal agitation, but these effects can be minimized by mechanical constraints, with the sliding force acting almost parallel to the filament axes.
Article Abstract
The motions of myosin filaments actively sliding along suspended actin filaments were studied. By manipulating a double-beam laser tweezers, single actin filaments were suspended between immobilized microbeads. When another beads coated with myosin filaments were dragged to suspended actin filaments, the beads instantly and unidirectionally slid along the actin filaments. The video image analysis showed that the beads slid at a velocity of ca. 3-5 microm/s accompanied with zigzag motions. When beads were densely coated with myosin filaments, the sliding motions became straight and smooth. The obtained results indicate that (1) during the sliding motions, the interaction between myosin heads and actin filaments is weak and susceptible to random thermal agitations, (2) the effects of thermal agitations to the sliding motions of myofilaments are readily suppressed by mechanical constraints imposed to the filaments, and (3) the active sliding force is produced almost in parallel to the filaments axis.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0304-4165(02)00336-7 | DOI Listing |
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