| Project/Area Number |
21K03483
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 13040:Biophysics, chemical physics and soft matter physics-related
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| Research Institution | Kanazawa University |
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Principal Investigator |
Flechsig Holger 金沢大学, ナノ生命科学研究所, 特任助教 (00758964)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
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| Keywords | molecular motors / myosin V / high-speed AFM / molecular dynamics / modelling / energetics |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
In biological cells molecular motors are powered by available chemical fuel. New experiments show purely mechanical motor stepping along filaments by external energy supply. To explain the underlying mechanism, relevant also to design artificial motors, is planned by theoretical investigations.
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Results obtained within this project successfully explained experimental interactive high-speed AFM observations demonstrating walking the of the myosin V motor along actin filaments in the absence of chemical energy supply by ATP molecules, when the motor trailing head is mechanically detached from the actin filament. By integrating mathematical modelling, analysis of motor energetics, and numerical simulations with experimental observations, this study provides a definite conclusion that ATP-driven conformational motions are not essential for myosin V operation, thus changing the currently accepted picture of motor operation. The results obtained in this project address the general mechanism of energy transduction in nanoscale molecular motors, concluding that the process of generating mechanical work may not involve chemical energy input.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
The activity of nanoscale motors has also been linked to processes related to disease and functional disorder. Therefore, the detailed understanding of their operation as obtained in this project for myosin V is potentially important for the development of therapeutic strategies and drug design.
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