Ultrafast force-clamp spectroscopy of single molecules reveals load dependence of myosin working stroke

Nat Methods. 2012 Oct;9(10):1013-9. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.2152. Epub 2012 Sep 2.

Abstract

We describe a dual-trap force-clamp configuration that applies constant loads between a binding protein and an intermittently interacting biological polymer. The method has a measurement delay of only ∼10 μs, allows detection of interactions as brief as ∼100 μs and probes sub-nanometer conformational changes with a time resolution of tens of microseconds. We tested our method on molecular motors and DNA-binding proteins. We could apply constant loads to a single motor domain of myosin before its working stroke was initiated (0.2-1 ms), thus directly measuring its load dependence. We found that, depending on the applied load, myosin weakly interacted (<1 ms) with actin without production of movement, fully developed its working stroke or prematurely detached (<5 ms), thus reducing the working stroke size with load. Our technique extends single-molecule force-clamp spectroscopy and opens new avenues for investigating the effects of forces on biological processes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actins / chemistry
  • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Animals
  • DNA / chemistry
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Myosins / chemistry*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Spectrum Analysis / methods*

Substances

  • Actins
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • DNA
  • Myosins