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Force–velocity relationships in kinesin-driven motility

Nature volume 364, pages 457–459 (1993)Cite this article

Abstract

KINESIN is a microtubule-based motor protein that uses energy released from Mg–ATP hydrolysis to generate force for the movement of intracellular membranes towards the fast-growing (plus) ends of microtubule tracks in cells1. Kinesin-driven microtubule movement can be visualized and quantified using light microscope motility assays2–5 but our understanding of how kinesin generates force and motion is incomplete6. Here we report the use of a centrifuge microscope7,8 to obtain force–velocity curves for kinesin-driven motility and to estimate that the maximal isometric force generated per kinesin is 0.12 ± 0.03 pN per molecule.

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Author notes

  1. Jonathan M. Scholey: To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biophysics Graduate Group, Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology,

    Kirsten Hall, Douglas G. Cole, Yin Yeh, Jonathan M. Scholey & Ronald J. Baskin

  2. Department of Applied Science, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA

    Kirsten Hall, Douglas G. Cole, Yin Yeh, Jonathan M. Scholey & Ronald J. Baskin

Authors
  1. Kirsten Hall
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  2. Douglas G. Cole
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  3. Yin Yeh
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  4. Jonathan M. Scholey
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  5. Ronald J. Baskin
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Hall, K., Cole, D., Yeh, Y. et al. Force–velocity relationships in kinesin-driven motility. Nature 364, 457–459 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/364457a0

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