User:Andy Maloney/Osmotic stress effects on kinesin and microtubules

Motivation

The molecular motor kinesin-1, an ATPase, and the substrate it walks along, microtubules, are vital components of eukaryotic cells. Kinesin converts chemical energy to linear motion as its two motor domains step along microtubules in a process similar to how we walk. Cells create systems of microtubules that direct the motion of kinesin. This directed motion allows kinesin to transport various cargoes inside cells.

During the stepping process, the kinesin motor domains bind and unbind from their binding sites on microtubules. Binding and unbinding rates of biomolecules are highly dependent on hydration and exclusion of water from the binding interface. Osmotic stress will likely strongly affect the binding and unbinding rates for kinesin and thus offers a tool to specifically probe those steps. This research is designed to investigate how different osmotic stressing agents affect how kinesin's motor domains bind and unbind from their binding sites on microtubules.

Notebook

Below you will find a list of my notebook entries related to investigating kinesin and microtubules under osmotic stress.

• Andy Maloney/Notebook/Lab Notebook of Andy Maloney/2009/11/25/Sucrose
  • Categories: AM OsmoticStress, Kinesin and microtubules
  • Description: Using sucrose as an osmolyte in the gliding motility assays.
• Andy Maloney/Notebook/Lab Notebook of Andy Maloney/2010/03/26/Dr Dill meeting
  • Categories: AM OsmoticStress, Kinesin and microtubules
  • Description: Notes from our meeting with Ken Dill.
• Andy Maloney/Notebook/Lab Notebook of Andy Maloney/2010/04/01/Osmotic stress planning
  • Categories: AM OsmoticStress, Kinesin and microtubules
  • Description: This notebook entry plans for using betaine as an osmotic stessor and I note preliminary results.
• Andy Maloney/Notebook/Lab Notebook of Andy Maloney/2010/04/02/Osmotic stress mapping
  • Categories: AM OsmoticStress, Kinesin and microtubules
  • Description: This notebook entry is basically repeating April 1st entry in regards to writing again what I want to do with the osmotic stress experiment.

References

All references that I read that I believe are important to the project will be listed here. I would like to state that the notes attached to a reference are my notes and thoughts. They may not be applicable to you or, I may have overlooked something important in the article that you may think is crucial for your research. With that said, please do read the reference before reading my notes and please, do not think my notes are in any way correct without referencing the article I am reviewing.