Dresden 2011 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 33: Biological Machines \& Motor Proteins
BP 33.5: Talk
Friday, March 18, 2011, 11:45–12:00, ZEU 250
Towards in vitro reconstitution of motor-driven nuclear oscillations — •Manuel Neetz1, Stefan Diez1,2, and Iva Tolic-Norrelykke1 — 1Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden — 2B CUBE, Dresden
Molecular motors are necessary for fundamental cell functions such as cell division and intracellular transport. These vital processes rely on the interplay of a multitude of motors exerting force on microtubules, which leads to concerted movements in the cell. The one dimensional nuclear oscillations in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe represent an easily accessible model process to study intracellular movements driven by molecular motors and microtubules. Similar oscillations have been observed in other organisms during mitosis. For the oscillations in S. pombe the minus-end directed motor protein dynein is necessary, which generates pulling forces by binding to microtubules and the cell cortex [Yam 06]. In S. pombe microtubules grow in opposite directions from the spindle pole body, and the movement of dynein all along the microtubules gives rise to antagonistic pulling forces [Vog 09]. We investigated the resulting dynamics by studying the gliding of cross-linked anti-parallel microtubules in vitro. Currently we are working with stabilized microtubules and the plus-end directed motor protein kinesin [Led 10]. We will extend the approach to anti-parallel dynamic microtubules gliding on yeast dynein.
[Yam 06] Yamamoto et al., J. Cell Biol., 145 (1999); [Vog 09] Vogel et al., PLoS Biology, 7 (2009); [Led 10] Leduc et al., PRL, 105 (2010);