Bidirectional membrane tube dynamics driven by nonprocessive motors.

ABSTRACT: In cells, membrane tubes are extracted by molecular motors. Although individual motors cannot provide enough force to pull a tube, clusters of such motors can. Here, we investigate, using a minimal in vitro model system, how the tube pulling process depends on fundamental properties of the motor species involved. Previously, it has been shown that processive motors can pull tubes by dynamic association at the tube tip. We demonstrate that, remarkably, nonprocessive motors can also cooperatively extract tubes. Moreover, the tubes pulled by nonprocessive motors exhibit rich dynamics as compared to those pulled by their processive counterparts. We report distinct phases of persistent growth, retraction, and an intermediate regime characterized by highly dynamic switching between the two. We i

SUBMITTER: Shaklee PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2786943 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature