Motility powered by supramolecular springs and ratchets

Molecular motor based entirely on the Coulomb interaction

A molecular motor is introduced which is composed of charges only and which does not contain any potential or interaction besides the Coulomb one. The motor is shown to transform efficiently a driven random rotation into a directed translational motion. The direction of translational motion can be chosen dynamically, so that a "forward gear," a "reverse gear," and even a "neutral gear" exist. The high efficiency stems from the fact that this motor only steps in the direction determined by the chosen gear.

Origin of nanomechanical cantilever motion generated from biomolecular interactions

Generation of nanomechanical cantilever motion from biomolecular interactions can have wide applications, ranging from high-throughput biomolecular detection to bioactuation. Although it has been suggested that such motion is caused by changes in surface stress of a cantilever beam, the origin of the surface-stress change has so far not been elucidated. By using DNA hybridization experiments, we show that the origin of motion lies in the interplay between changes in configurational entropy and intermolecular energetics induced by specific biomolecular interactions. By controlling entropy change during DNA hybridization, the direction of cantilever motion can be manipulated. These thermodynamic principles were also used to explain the origin of motion generated from protein-ligand binding.

Origin of nanomechanical cantilever motion generated from biomolecular interactions

Generation of nanomechanical cantilever motion from biomolecular interactions can have wide applications, ranging from high-throughput biomolecular detection to bioactuation. Although it has been suggested that such motion is caused by changes in surface stress of a cantilever beam, the origin of the surface-stress change has so far not been elucidated. By using DNA hybridization experiments, we show that the origin of motion lies in the interplay between changes in configurational entropy and intermolecular energetics induced by specific biomolecular interactions. By controlling entropy change during DNA hybridization, the direction of cantilever motion can be manipulated. These thermodynamic principles were also used to explain the origin of motion generated from protein-ligand binding.

Rab proteins as membrane organizers

Cellular organelles in the exocytic and endocytic pathways have a distinctive spatial distribution and communicate through an elaborate system of vesiculo-tubular transport. Rab proteins and their effectors coordinate consecutive stages of transport, such as vesicle formation, vesicle and organelle motility, and tethering of vesicles to their target compartment. These molecules are highly compartmentalized in organelle membranes, making them excellent candidates for determining transport specificity and organelle identity.

Components and dynamics of fiber formation define a ubiquitous biogenesis pathway for bacterial pili

Type IV pili (Tfp) are a unique class of multifunctional surface organelles in Gram-negative bacteria, which play important roles in prokaryotic cell biology. Although components of the Tfp biogenesis machinery have been characterized, it is not clear how they function or interact. Using Neisseria gonorrhoeae as a model system, we report here that organelle biogenesis can be resolved into two discrete steps: fiber formation and translocation of the fiber to the cell surface. This conclusion is based on the capturing of an intermediate state in which the organelle is retained within the cell owing to the simultaneous absence of the secretin family member and biogenesis component PilQ and the twitching motility/pilus retraction protein PilT. This finding is the first demonstration of a specific translocation defect associated with loss of secretin function, and additionally confirms the role of PilT as a conditional antagonist of stable pilus fiber formation. These findings have important implications for Tfp structure and function and are pertinent to other membrane translocation systems that utilize a highly related set of components.

Pilus retraction powers bacterial twitching motility

Twitching and social gliding motility allow many gram negative bacteria to crawl along surfaces, and are implicated in a wide range of biological functions. Type IV pili (Tfp) are required for twitching and social gliding, but the mechanism by which these filaments promote motility has remained enigmatic. Here we use laser tweezers to show that Tfp forcefully retract. Neisseria gonorrhoeae cells that produce Tfp actively crawl on a glass surface and form adherent microcolonies. When laser tweezers are used to place and hold cells near a microcolony, retractile forces pull the cells toward the microcolony. In quantitative experiments, the Tfp of immobilized bacteria bind to latex beads and retract, pulling beads from the tweezers at forces that can exceed 80 pN. Episodes of retraction terminate with release or breakage of the Tfp tether. Both motility and retraction mediated by Tfp occur at about 1 microm s(-1) and require protein synthesis and function of the PilT protein. Our experiments establish that Tfp filaments retract, generate substantial force and directly mediate cell movement.

What fuels polypeptide translocation? An energetical view on mitochondrial protein sorting

Protein sorting into mitochondria is achieved by the concerted action of at least four translocation complexes. Vectorial transport of polypeptide chains by these complexes requires different driving forces. In particular, Deltapsi, matrix adenosine triphosphate and the free energy of the binding to other protein components are used in series to achieve sorting of proteins to the various mitochondrial subcompartments. The processes providing the translocation energy are presented in this review and their impact for protein sorting into and within mitochondria is discussed.