THESIS
2017
ix, 61 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 30 cm
Abstract
Myosin X is the first reported myosin to form the anti-parallel dimer in myosin family. It
was reported to be localized to the tips of filopodia and to assist in the formation of filopodia.
The structure, stepping mechanism and functions of myosin X are crucial for understanding the
detailed signal transduction during cell migrations. Here, I focus on the stepping mechanism of
myosin X which has been under heated debate. By implementing the single-molecule tracking
method called FIONA, the center of the single fluorescence molecule, which used to label
myosin X, can be localized with one nanometer accuracy. I found that myosin X has broad
distributions of step sizes and frequent backward steps compared with the other members in
myosin family, which suggests a unique stepping mec...[
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Myosin X is the first reported myosin to form the anti-parallel dimer in myosin family. It
was reported to be localized to the tips of filopodia and to assist in the formation of filopodia.
The structure, stepping mechanism and functions of myosin X are crucial for understanding the
detailed signal transduction during cell migrations. Here, I focus on the stepping mechanism of
myosin X which has been under heated debate. By implementing the single-molecule tracking
method called FIONA, the center of the single fluorescence molecule, which used to label
myosin X, can be localized with one nanometer accuracy. I found that myosin X has broad
distributions of step sizes and frequent backward steps compared with the other members in
myosin family, which suggests a unique stepping mechanism on actin bundles along the
filopodia.
Magnetic tweezers can exert force or torque on biological systems including molecules
and cells. It has a wider force range from pico-newton to nano-newton than the other
micromanipulation tools such as AFM and optical tweezers. Magnetic tweezers with permanent
magnets combined with the fast CMOS camera enable us to investigate the dynamics and
mechanics of single DNA whereas the magnetic tweezers with electromagnets allow the
investigation of mechanics of single cells. I built a magnetic tweezers with both the permanent
magnets and the electromagnet and applied the electromagnetic system into measuring cell
mechanical properties. The results of cells measurement are consistent with the previous reports.
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