Motor number controls cargo switching at actin-microtubule intersections in vitro.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cellular activities such as endocytosis and secretion require that cargos actively switch between the microtubule (MT) and actin filament (AF) networks. Cellular studies suggest that switching may involve a tug of war or coordinate regulation of MT- and AF-based motor function.

Results

To test the hypothesis that motor number can be used to direct the outcome of a tug-of-war process, we reconstituted cargo switching at MT-AF intersections in a minimal system with purified myosin V and dynein-dynactin motors bound to beads. Beads containing both motors often paused at the intersections and rotated about an axis perpendicular to both filaments, suggesting that competing motors apply a torque on their cargo. Force measurements showed that motor forces scale with the

SUBMITTER: Schroeder HW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2934746 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature