Active Mechanical Threading by a Molecular Motor.

ABSTRACT: Molecular motors transform external energy input into directional motions and offer exquisite precision for nano-scale manipulations. To make full use of molecular motor capacities, their directional motions need to be transmitted and used for powering downstream molecular events. Here we present a macrocyclic molecular motor structure able to perform repetitive molecular threading of a flexible tetraethylene glycol chain through the macrocycle. This mechanical threading event is actively powered by the motor and leads to a direct translation of the unidirectional motor rotation into unidirectional translation motion (chain versus ring). The mechanism of the active mechanical threading is elucidated and the actual threading step is identified as a combined helix inversion and threading eve

SUBMITTER: Bach NN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9314141 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature