Non-invasive force measurement reveals the number of active kinesins on a synaptic vesicle precursor in axonal transport regulated by ARL-8

• DOI: 10.1039/c7cp05890j
• Publication Date: 2018-01-19T09:57:00Z
• Authors: Kumiko Hayashi; Shin Hasegawa; Takashi Sagawa; Sohei Tasaki; Shinsuke Niwa
• Keywords: Kinesin; Vesicular Transport Proteins; Axoplasmic transport

Kinesin superfamily protein UNC-104, a member of the kinesin-3 family, transports synaptic vesicle precursors (SVPs). In this study, number active UNC-104 molecules hauling single SVP in axons worm Caenorhabditis elegans was counted by applying newly developed non-invasive force measurement technique. The distribution acting on transported spread out over several clusters, implying presence force-producing units (FPUs). We then compared FPUs wild-type worms with that arl-8 gene-deletion mutant worms. ARL-8 is SVP-bound arf-like small guanosine triphosphatase, and known to promote unlocking autoinhibition motor, which critical for avoiding unnecessary consumption adenosine triphosphate when motor does not bind SVP. There were fewer This finding indicates lack decreased motors, led decrease motors responsible transport.