Regensburg 2019 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 19: Focus session: Physics of cilia: Dynamics of synchronized oscillators

BP 19.3: Talk

Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 15:45–16:00, H11

Reconstitution of bio-mechanical oscillations in a minimal system — •Monique Honsa, Veikko F. Geyer, and Stefan Diez — B CUBE, TU Dresden, Germany

Bio-mechanical oscillations drive important biological processes through the dynamic interplay of molecular motors and filaments. To better understand the fundamental mechanism of the generation of oscillations in a minimal system, we realized a bottom-up approach of a bio-mechanical oscillator by using only three components – molecular motors, filaments and cross-linkers. In an in vitro kinesin-1 gliding motility assay, we cross-linked the leading tips of microtubules to the glass surface and observed the rhythmical buckling of the trailing parts of the microtubules with frequencies of 40 mHz and amplitudes of 2.5 µm. Remarkably, during buckling, parts of the microtubules moved up to three times faster than the gliding velocity of the microtubules. Our observations provide insight into the fundamental mechanisms involved in the generation of oscillations in motor-filament systems and are expected to lead to a better understanding of dynamic biological processes such as the flagellar beat.