Abstract
A new in vitro assay using a feedback enhanced laser trap system allows direct measurement of force and displacement that results from the interaction of a single myosin molecule with a single suspended actin filament. Discrete stepwise movements averaging 11 nm were seen under conditions of low load, and single force transients averaging 3–4 pN were measured under isometric conditions. The magnitudes of the single forces and displacements are consistent with predictions of the conventional swinging-crossbridge model of muscle contraction.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Reedy, M. K., Holmes, K. C. & Tregear, R. T. Nature 207, 1276–1280 (1965).
Huxley, H. E. Science 164, 1356–1366 (1969).
Rayment, I. et al. Science 261, 50–58 (1993).
Huxley, A. F. & Simmons, R. M. Nature 233, 533–538 (1971).
Ford, L. E., Huxley, A. F. & Simmons, R. M. J. Physiol. 269, 441–515 (1977).
Toyoshima, Y. Y., Kron, S. J. & Spudich, J. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 7130–7134 (1990).
Uyeda, T. Q. P., Kron, S. J. & Spudich, J. A. J. molec. Biol. 214, 699–710 (1990).
Uyeda, T. Q. P., Warrick, H. M., Kron, S. J. & Spudich, J. A. Nature 352, 307–311 (1991).
Harada, Y. & Yanagida, T. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 10, 71–76 (1988).
Harada, Y., Sakurada, K., Aoki, T., Thomas, D. D. & Yanagida, T. J. molec. Biol. 216, 49–68 (1990).
Yanagida, T., Arata, T. & Oosawa, F. Nature 316, 366–369 (1985).
Higuchi, H. & Goldman, Y. E. Nature 352, 352–354 (1991).
Ishijima, A., Doi, T., Sakurada, K. & Yanagida, T. Nature 352, 301–306 (1991).
Brenner, B. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 10490–10494 (1991).
Lombardi, V., Piazzesi, G. & Linari, M. Nature 355, 638–641 (1992).
Goldman, Y. E. & Simmons, R. M. J. Physiol. 269, 55p–57p (1977).
Huxley, H. E. & Kress, M. J. Muscle Res. Cell Motil. 6, 153–161 (1985).
Berger, C. L. & Thomas, D. D. Biochemistry 32, 3812–3821 (1993).
Fajer, P. G., Fajer, E. A. & Thomas, D. D. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 5538–5542 (1990).
Howard, J., Hudspeth, A. J. & Vale, R. D. Nature 342, 154–158 (1989).
Kishino, A. & Yanagida, T. Nature 334, 74–76 (1988).
Simmons, R. M. et al. in Mechanism of Myofilament Sliding in Muscle (eds Sugi, H. & Pollack, G. H. J.) (Plenum, New York and London, 1993).
Block, S. M., Goldstein, L. S. B. & Schnapp, B. J. Nature 348, 348–352 (1990).
Kuo, S. C. & Sheetz, M. P. Science 260, 232–234 (1993).
Svoboda, K., Schmidt, C. F., Schnapp, B. J. & Block, S. M. Nature 365, 721–727 (1993).
Simmons, R. M., Finer, J. T., Chu, S. & Spudich, J. A. Biophys. J. (submitted).
Kron, S. J. & Spudich, J. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 6272–6276 (1986).
Taylor, E. W. Crit. Rev. Biochem. 6, 103–164 (1979).
Cooke, R. Crit. Rev. Biochem. 21, 53–118 (1986).
Sellers, J. R. & Kachar, B. Science 249, 406–408 (1990).
Yamada, A., Ishii, N. & Takahashi, K. J. Biochem. 108, 341–343 (1990).
White, H. D. & Taylor, E. W. Biochemistry 15, 5818–5826 (1976).
Goldman, Y. E., Hibberd, M. G. & Trentham, D. R. J. Physiol. 354, 577–604 (1984).
Huxley, A. F. Prog. Biophys. 7, 225–318 (1957).
Taylor, E. W. J. biol. Chem. 266, 294–302 (1991).
Brenner, B. & Yu, L. C. J. Physiol. 441, 703–718 (1991).
Bagshaw, C. R. Muscle Contraction. 98 (Chapman & Hall, London, 1993).
Woledge, R. C., Curtin, N. A. & Homsher, E. Energetic Aspects of Muscle Contraction, 103 (Academic, London, 1985).
Haselgrove, J. C. & Huxley, H. E. J. molec. Biol. 77, 549–568 (1973).
Margossian, S. S. & Lowey, S. Meth. Enzym. 85, 55–71 (1982).
Toyoshima, Y. Y. et al. Nature 328, 536–539 (1987).
Warrick, H. M. et al. in Methods in Cell Biology (eds Scholey, J. M.) 1–21 (Academic, San Diego, 1993).
Yoshino, S., Umazume, Y., Natori, R., Fujime, S. & Chiba, S. Biophys. Chem. 8, 317–326 (1978).
Ford, L. E., Huxley, A. F. & Simmons, R. M. J. Physiol. 311, 219–249 (1981).
Svoboda, K. & Block, S. M. A. Rev. Biophys. biomol. Str. (in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Finer, J., Simmons, R. & Spudich, J. Single myosin molecule mechanics: piconewton forces and nanometre steps. Nature 368, 113–119 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/368113a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/368113a0
This article is cited by
-
Polarization-directed growth of spiral nanostructures by laser direct writing with vector beams
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Gilded vaterite optothermal transport in a bubble
Scientific Reports (2023)
-
A mutation in switch I alters the load-dependent kinetics of myosin Va
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Membrane tension induces F-actin reorganization and flow in a biomimetic model cortex
Communications Biology (2023)
-
Complexin-1 regulated assembly of single neuronal SNARE complex revealed by single-molecule optical tweezers
Communications Biology (2023)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.