Multiple kinesins speed up cargo transport in crowded environments by sharing load.

ABSTRACT: Kinesin motors transport cargoes along microtubules inside of cells. Although it is well known that the cargoes are typically carried by multiple kinesins and that the more motors used, the further the cargoes travel, it has been challenging to determine the number of motors moving a cargo and any instant. Further, there is no unified statement on the relationship between cargo velocity and motor number, especially in the presence of a very crowded cytoplasmic environment. Here, we use a non-invasive method to quantify instantaneous motor number, and use it to investigate the effects of crowded environments on cargo motion when it is carried by multiple kinesins. Our experiments reveal that the velocity of the cargo depends on the number of motors on the cargo and the size of the crowders

SUBMITTER: Huang YT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11825687 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature