TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular motors as an auto-oscillator
AU - Ishiwata, Shin'ichi
AU - Shimamoto, Yuta
AU - Suzuki, Madoka
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - The organization of biomotile systems possesses structural and functional hierarchy, building up from single molecules via protein assemblies and cells further up to an organ. A typical example is the hierarchy of cardiac muscle, on the top of which is the heart. The heartbeat is supported by the rhythmic contraction of the muscle cells that is controlled by the Ca 2+ oscillation triggered by periodic electrical excitation of pacemaker cells. Thus, it is usually believed that the heartbeat is governed by the control system based on a sequential one-way chain with the electrical/chemical information transfer from the upper to the lower level of hierarchy. On the other hand, it has been known for many years that the contractile system of muscle, i.e., skinned muscle fibers and myofibrils, itself possesses the auto-oscillatory properties even in the constant chemical environment. A recent paper [Plaçais, et al. (2009), Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 158102] demonstrated the auto-oscillatory movement/tension development in an in vitro motility assay composed of a single actin filament and randomly distributed myosin II molecules, suggesting that the auto-oscillatory properties are inherent to the contractile proteins. Here we discuss how the molecular motors may acquire the higher-ordered auto-oscillatory properties while stepping up the staircase of hierarchy.
AB - The organization of biomotile systems possesses structural and functional hierarchy, building up from single molecules via protein assemblies and cells further up to an organ. A typical example is the hierarchy of cardiac muscle, on the top of which is the heart. The heartbeat is supported by the rhythmic contraction of the muscle cells that is controlled by the Ca 2+ oscillation triggered by periodic electrical excitation of pacemaker cells. Thus, it is usually believed that the heartbeat is governed by the control system based on a sequential one-way chain with the electrical/chemical information transfer from the upper to the lower level of hierarchy. On the other hand, it has been known for many years that the contractile system of muscle, i.e., skinned muscle fibers and myofibrils, itself possesses the auto-oscillatory properties even in the constant chemical environment. A recent paper [Plaçais, et al. (2009), Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 158102] demonstrated the auto-oscillatory movement/tension development in an in vitro motility assay composed of a single actin filament and randomly distributed myosin II molecules, suggesting that the auto-oscillatory properties are inherent to the contractile proteins. Here we discuss how the molecular motors may acquire the higher-ordered auto-oscillatory properties while stepping up the staircase of hierarchy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79954415785&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79954415785&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2976/1.3390455
DO - 10.2976/1.3390455
M3 - Article
C2 - 21119762
AN - SCOPUS:79954415785
VL - 4
SP - 100
EP - 104
JO - Frontiers in Life Science
JF - Frontiers in Life Science
SN - 2155-3769
IS - 3-4
ER -