Development of Molecular Machines Based on the Kinesin Motor Protein

• Grant number: 15/01271-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2015
• End date: November 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Henrique Eisi Toma
• Grantee: Daniel Camargo de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/24725-4 - Supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology, AP.TEM

Abstract

Development of Molecular Machines Based on the Kinesin Motor ProteinSupervisor: Professor Henrique Eisi TomaFellowship Applicant: Daniel Camargo de OliveiraHost Institution: Instituto de Química - Universidade de São PauloProject SummaryThe research project proposed here, to be developed at Prof. Henrique Eisi Toma research laboratory at the Instituto de Química - Universidade de São Paulo, is aimed at developing novel molecular machines prototypes, namely, hybrid systems that will transform the chemical energy of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) attained from biomass into movement of highly efficient biomolecules. Such type of system is particularly useful for bionanotechnological applications, providing interesting prototypes of molecular machines and devices. In order to achieve such goal, two dynamic biomolecules are to be manipulated: kinesin and microtubules. Kinesin is a well-known naturally occurring protein capable of unidirectional motion upon interaction with a cytoplasmic system of fibers, known as microtubules. Conversion of chemical energy into mechanical work, harnessed by the hydrolysis of ATP, propels kinesin along microtubules filaments, or alternatively, motion of microtubule over immobilized kinesin proteins, making the kinesin/microtubule pair an attractive candidate as constituents of synthetic molecular machines. Conjugation of either superparamagnetic or gold nanoparticles to the kinesin protein leads to the motility of such particles over predefined patterned microtubule arrays. The motion of nanosized materials can be visualized by fluorescence or dark-field microscopy, depending on which nanoparticle is under observation. Furthermore, a hybrid device is proposed as a prototype capable of generating macroscale forces as well as a method for patterning microtubules using magnetic fields.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

HENRIQUE EISI TOMA; DANIEL OLIVEIRA; FERNANDO M. DE MELO. Magnetic alignment of rhodamine/magnetite dual-labeled microtubules probed with inverted fluorescence microscopy. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, v. 94, n. 3, 2022-08-01. (18/21489-1, 15/01271-3)

OLIVEIRA, DANIEL; DE MELO, FERNANDO MENEGATTI; TOMA, HENRIQUE E.. One-pot single step to label microtubule with MPA-capped CdTe quantum dots. Micron, v. 108, p. 19-23, MAY 2018. (13/24725-4, 15/01271-3)