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Chemomechanical coupling of the forward and backward steps of single kinesin molecules

Nature Cell Biology volume 4, pages 790–797 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

The molecular motor kinesin travels processively along a microtubule in a stepwise manner. Here we have studied the chemomechanical coupling of the hydrolysis of ATP to the mechanical work of kinesin by analysing the individual stepwise movements according to the directionality of the movements. Kinesin molecules move primarily in the forward direction and only occasionally in the backward direction. The hydrolysis of a single ATP molecule is coupled to either the forward or the backward movement. This bidirectional movement is well described by a model of Brownian motion assuming an asymmetric potential of activation energy. Thus, the stepwise movement along the microtubule is most probably due to Brownian motion that is biased towards the forward direction by chemical energy stored in ATP molecules.

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Figure 1: Nanometry of single kinesin molecules.
Figure 2: Step size of the forward and backward movements.
Figure 3: Displacements of kinesin in the dwell time.
Figure 4: Step directionality.
Figure 5: Dwell time between the adjacent stepwise movements.
Figure 6: Stepping kinetics of the bidirectional movements.
Figure 7: Mechanics and energetics.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Y. Ishii, F. Oosawa, Y. Inoue and colleagues of Single Molecule Processes Project, and Osaka University for discussions; J. West, E. Muto, H. Kojima and Y. Taniguchi for critically reading the manuscript. This work was partially supported by JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists (M.N.).Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to H.H.

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Author notes

  1. Masayoshi Nishiyama

    Present address: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Single Molecule Processes Project, ICORP, JST, 2-4-14, Senba-Higashi, Mino, Osaka, 562-0035, Japan

    Masayoshi Nishiyama & Toshio Yanagida

  2. Department of Biophysical Engineering, Osaka University 1-3, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan

    Masayoshi Nishiyama

  3. Department of Metallurgy, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan

    Hideo Higuchi

  4. Center of Interdisciplinary Research, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan

    Hideo Higuchi

  5. Department of Physiology and Biosignaling, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Toshio Yanagida

  6. Laboratories for Nanobiology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences Osaka University, A4, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Toshio Yanagida

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Correspondence to Hideo Higuchi.

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Nishiyama, M., Higuchi, H. & Yanagida, T. Chemomechanical coupling of the forward and backward steps of single kinesin molecules. Nat Cell Biol 4, 790–797 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb857

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