A Nano-Technology Approach to Screen the Charge of Molecular Motors*

A better understanding of the nature of the electrostatic interactions between molecular motors and microtubules requires a thorough examination of, not only the charge of microtubules, but molecular motors as well. Several reported studies have been conducted to screen and evaluate the charge of microtubules in vitro. However, our knowledge about the electric charge of molecular motors is still limited to the evaluation of the association rate they express in conjunction with microtubules.
With the goal of screening and evaluating the charge that molecular motors carry, we have designed a nanotechnology-based method. In this approach, the charge of motors can be screened in vitro by monitoring their behavior inside a uniform electric field. This novel in vitro approach minimizes the cellular factors that can potentially interfere with evaluating the charge of motors, leading to a better capability of evaluating the charge of these bio-motors in a more exclusive framework.