Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Gennerich A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2851641 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Gennerich Arne A Carter Andrew P AP Reck-Peterson Samara L SL Vale Ronald D RD
Cell 20071101 5
Cytoplasmic dynein is a minus-end-directed microtubule motor whose mechanism of movement remains poorly understood. Here, we use optical tweezers to examine the force-dependent stepping behavior of yeast cytoplasmic dynein. We find that dynein primarily advances in 8 nm increments but takes other sized steps (4-24 nm) as well. An opposing force induces more frequent backward stepping by dynein, and the motor walks backward toward the microtubule plus end at loads above its stall force of 7 pN. R ...[more]