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AIST TODAYNo.13 Summer 2004


Controlling the Direction of Movements by Protein Molecular Motors


The kinesin molecular motor moves unidierctinally along microtubules that serve as filamentous tracks. By fabricating micrometer-scaled troughs on glass surfaces and by adding arrowhead-shaped patterns to the troughs, we were able to realize unidirectional, one dimensional movements of microtubules. The gliding bacterium Mycoplasma mobile is another attactive material of nanoactuators. By taking advantage of these cells to move along walls of lithographic patterns, we have succeeded to make them move unidirectionally along lithographic tracks. These unidirectional movement systems should be foundation of a micro-belt coveyer system to be used in, for example, miniature chemical plants.

Photo
Unidirectional movement of M. mobile cells along circular tracks. A, Scanning electron micrograph of a part of the repetitive broken circular patterns. B, Overlay of five consecutive fluorescence micrographs taken at 0.33 s intervals. The color gradient shows the counter-clockwise rotation of all 13 cells along the circular track (time sequence: yellow to orange to red).

Relational Information

AIST Today Vol. 4, No.5 (2004) 14



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