Optical Traps to Study Properties of Molecular Motors #MMPMID22046048
Spudich JA; Rice SE; Rock RS; Purcell TJ; Warrick HM
Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2011[Nov]; 2011 (11): 1305-18 PMID22046048show ga
In vitro motility assays enabled the analysis of coupling between ATP hydrolysis and movement of myosin along actin filaments or kinesin along microtubules. Single-molecule assays using laser trapping have been used to obtain more detailed information about kinesins, myosins, and processive DNA enzymes. The combination of in vitro motility assays with laser-trap measurements has revealed detailed dynamic structural changes associated with the ATPase cycle. This article describes the use of optical traps to study processive and nonprocessive molecular motor proteins, focusing on the design of the instrument and the assays to characterize motility.