A Simple Theoretical Model Explains Dynein's Response to Load

• Published in: Biophysical journal Vol. 90; no. 3; pp. 811 - 821
• Main Author: Gao, Yi Qin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2006; Biophysical Society
• Subjects: Adenosine diphosphate; Adenosine Diphosphate - chemistry; Adenosine Triphosphate - chemistry; Animals; ATP; Binding Sites; Biophysical Theory and Modeling; Biophysics; Biophysics - methods; Cells; Chemical reactions; Cytoplasm - metabolism; Diffusion; Dyneins - chemistry; Hydrolysis; Kinesin - chemistry; Kinetics; Load; Mathematical models; Microtubules; Models, Biological; Models, Chemical; Models, Statistical; Molecular Conformation; Molecular Motor Proteins - chemistry; Molecules; Movement; Phosphates - chemistry; Protein Binding; Protein Transport; Stress, Mechanical; Thermodynamics; Time Factors; Translocation

Recent experiment showed that cytoplasmic dynein 1, a molecular motor responsible for cargo transport in cells, functions as a gear in response to external load. In the presence of vanishing or small external load, dynein walks with 24- or 32-nm steps, whereas at high external load, its step size is...