Method Article

Myosin-Specific Adaptations of In vitro Fluorescence Microscopy-Based Motility Assays

DOI:

10.3791/62180

⸱

February 4th, 2021

 ,  ,  ,  , 
1Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 2Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

In This Article

Summary

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Presented here is a procedure to express and purify myosin 5a followed by a discussion of its characterization, using both ensemble and single molecule in vitro fluorescence microscopy-based assays, and how these methods can be modified for the characterization of nonmuscle myosin 2b.

Abstract

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Myosin proteins bind and interact with filamentous actin (F-actin) and are found in organisms across the phylogenetic tree. Their structure and enzymatic properties are adapted for the particular function they execute in cells. Myosin 5a processively walks on F-actin to transport melanosomes and vesicles in cells. Conversely, nonmuscle myosin 2b operates as a bipolar filament containing approximately 30 molecules. It moves F-actin of opposite polarity toward the center of the filament, where the myosin molecules work asynchronously to bind actin, impart a power stroke, and dissociate before repeating the cycle. Nonmuscle myosin 2b, along with its other nonmuscle myosin 2 isoforms, has roles that include cell adhesion, cytokinesis, and tension maintenance. The mechanochemistry of myosins can be studied by performing in vitro motility assays using purified proteins. In the gliding actin filament assay, the myosins are bound to a microscope coverslip surface and translocate fluorescently labeled F-actin, which can be tracked. In the single molecule/ensemble motility assay, however, F-actin is bound to a coverslip and the movement of fluorescently labeled myosin molecules on the F-actin is observed. In this report, the purification of recombinant myosin 5a from Sf9 cells using affinity chromatography is outlined. Following this, we outline two fluorescence microscopy-based assays: the gliding actin filament assay and the inverted motility assay. From these assays, parameters such as actin translocation velocities and single molecule run lengths and velocities can be extracted using the image analysis software. These techniques can also be applied to study the movement of single filaments of the nonmuscle myosin 2 isoforms, discussed herein in the context of nonmuscle myosin 2b. This workflow represents a protocol and a set of quantitative tools that can be used to study the single molecule and ensemble dynamics of nonmuscle myosins.

Introduction

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Myosins are motor proteins that exert force on actin filaments using the energy derived from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis1. Myosins contain a head, neck, and tail domain. The head domain contains the actin-binding region as well as the site of ATP binding and hydrolysis. The neck domains are composed of IQ motifs, which bind to light chains, calmodulin, or calmodulin-like proteins2,3. The tail region has several functions specific to each class of myosins, including but not limited to the dimerization of two heavy chains, binding of cargo molecules, and regulation of the myosin via autoinhibitory interactions with the head domains1.

The motile properties of myosin vary greatly between classes. Some of these properties include duty ratio (the fraction of myosin's mechanical cycle in which the myosin is bound to actin) and processivity (the ability of a motor to make multiple steps on its track before detachment)4. The over 40 classes of myosins were determined based on sequence analyses5,6,7,8. The class 2 myosins are classified as "conventional" since they were the first to be studied; all other classes of myosins are, therefore, classified as "unconventional."

Myosin 5a (M5a) is a class 5 myosin and is a processive motor, meaning that it can take multiple steps along actin before dissociating. It has a high duty ratio, indicating that it spends a large part of its mechanical cycle bound to actin9,10,11,12,13,14. In common with other myosins, the heavy chain contains an N-terminal motor domain that includes both an actin-binding and an ATP hydrolysis site followed by a neck region that serves as a lever-arm, with six IQ motifs that bind to essential light chains (ELC) and calmodulin (CaM)15. The tail region contains α-helical coiled-coils, which dimerize the molecule, followed by a globular tail region for binding cargo. Its kinetics reflect its involvement in the transport of melanosomes in melanocytes and of the endoplasmic reticulum in Purkinje neurons16,17. M5a is considered the prototypical cargo transport motor18.

Class 2 myosins, or the conventional myosins, include the myosins that power contraction of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle in addition to the nonmuscle myosin 2 (NM2) isoforms, NM2a, 2b, and 2c19. The NM2 isoforms are found in the cytoplasm of all cells and have shared roles in cytokinesis, adhesion, tissue morphogenesis, and cell migration19,20,21,22. This paper discusses conventional myosin protocols in the context of nonmuscle myosin 2b (NM2b)23. NM2b, in comparison to M5a, has a low duty ratio and is enzymatically slower with a Vmax of 0.2 s-1 23 compared to M5a's Vmax of ≈18 s-1 24. Notably, truncated NM2b constructs with two heads do not readily move processively on actin; rather, each encounter with actin results in a power stroke followed by dissociation of the molecule25.

NM2b contains two myosin heavy chains, each with one globular head domain, one lever-arm (with one ELC and one regulatory light chain (RLC)), and an α-helical coiled-coil rod/tail domain, approximately 1,100 amino acids long, that dimerizes these two heavy chains. The enzymatic activity and structural state of NM2b are regulated by phosphorylation of the RLC23. Unphosphorylated NM2b, in the presence of ATP and physiological ionic strengths (approximately 150 mM salt), adopts a compact conformation wherein the two heads make participate in an asymmetric interaction and the tail folds back over the heads in two places23. In this state, the myosin does not interact strongly with actin and has very low enzymatic activity. Upon RLC phosphorylation by calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) or Rho-associated protein kinase, the molecule extends and associates with other myosins through the tail region to form bipolar filaments of approximately 30 myosin molecules23. The aforementioned phosphorylation of the RLC also leads to increased actin-activated ATPase activity of NM2b by approximately four times26,27,28. This bipolar filament arrangement, featuring many myosin motors at each end, is optimized for roles in contraction and tension maintenance, where actin filaments with opposing polarities can be moved relative to each other23,29. Accordingly, NM2b has been shown to act as an ensemble of motors when interacting with actin. The large number of motors within this filament allow NM2b filaments to move processively on actin filaments, making in vitro filament processivity possible to characterize29.

While progress has been made in understanding the role of myosins in the cell, there is a need to understand their individual characteristics at the protein level. To understand actomyosin interactions at a simple protein-protein interaction level, rather than inside of a cell, we can express and purify recombinant myosins for use in in vitro studies. The results of such studies then inform mechanobiologists about the biophysical properties of specific myosins that ultimately drive complex cellular processes12,13,14,25,29. Typically, this is accomplished by adding an affinity tag to a full-length or truncated myosin construct and purifying via affinity chromatography29,30,31. Additionally, the construct can be engineered to include a genetically encodable fluorophore or a tag for protein labeling with a synthetic fluorophore. By adding such a fluorescent label, single molecule imaging studies can be performed to observe myosin mechanics and kinetics.

Following purification, the myosin can be characterized in several ways. ATPase activity can be measured by colorimetric methods, providing insight into the overall energy consumption and actin affinity of the motor under different conditions32. To learn about the mechanochemistry of its motility, further experiments are required. This paper details two in vitro fluorescence microscopy-based methods that can be used to characterize the motile properties of a purified myosin protein.

The first of these methods is the gliding actin filament assay, which can be used to quantitatively study the ensemble properties of myosin motors, as well as qualitatively study the quality of a batch of purified protein33. Although this paper discusses the use of total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy for this assay, these experiments can be effectively performed using a wide-field fluorescence microscope equipped with a digital camera, commonly found in many labs34. In this assay, a saturating layer of myosin motors is attached to a coverslip. This can be accomplished using nitrocellulose, antibodies, membranes, SiO2-derivatized surfaces (such as trimethylchlorosilane), among others29,33,35,36,37,38. Fluorescently labeled actin filaments are passed through the coverslip chamber, upon which the actin binds to the myosin attached to the surface. Upon addition of ATP (and kinases in the study of NM2), the chamber is imaged to observe the translocation of actin filaments by the surface-bound myosins. Tracking software can be used to correlate the velocity and length of each gliding actin filament. Analysis software can also provide a measure of the number of both moving and stationary actin filaments, which can be useful to determine the quality of a given myosin preparation. The proportion of stalled filaments can also be intentionally modulated by surface tethering of actin to other proteins and measured to determine the load dependence of the myosin39. Because each actin filament can be propelled by a large number of available motors, this assay is very reproducible, with the final measured velocity being robust to perturbations such as alterations in the starting myosin concentration or the presence of additional factors in the solution. This means it can be easily modified to study myosin activity under different conditions, such as altered phosphorylation, temperature, ionic strength, solution viscosity, and the effects of load induced by surface tethers. Although factors such as strong-binding myosin "dead heads" incapable of ATP hydrolysis can cause stalled actin filaments, multiple methods exist to mitigate such issues and allow for accurate measurements. The kinetic properties of myosin vary greatly across classes and, depending on the specific myosin used, the speed of actin filament gliding in this assay can vary from under 20 nm/s (myosin 9)40,41, and up to 60,000 nm/s (Characean myosin 11)42.

The second assay inverts the geometry of the gliding actin filament assay12. Here, the actin filaments are attached to the coverslip surface and the movement of single molecules of M5a or of individual bipolar filaments of NM2b are visualized. This assay can be used to quantify the run lengths and velocities of single myosin molecules or filaments on actin. A coverslip is coated with a chemical compound that blocks non-specific binding and simultaneously functionalizes the surface, such as biotin-polyethylene glycol (biotin-PEG). The addition of modified avidin derivatives then primes the surface and biotinylated actin is passed through the chamber, resulting in a layer of F-actin stably bound to the bottom of the chamber. Finally, activated and fluorescently labeled myosin (typically 1-100 nM) is flowed through the chamber, which is then imaged to observe myosin movement over the stationary actin filaments.

These modalities represent fast and reproducible methods that can be employed to examine the dynamics of both nonmuscle and muscle myosins. This report outlines the procedures to purify and characterize both M5a and NM2b, representing unconventional and conventional myosins, respectively. This is followed by a discussion of some of the myosin-specific adaptations, which can be performed to achieve successful capturing of motion in the two types of the assay.

Expression and molecular biology
The cDNA for the myosin of interest must be cloned onto a modified pFastBac1 vector that encodes for either a C-terminal FLAG-tag (DYKDDDDK) if expressing M5a-HMM, or an N-terminal FLAG-tag if expressing the full-length molecule of NM2b23,43,44,45,46. C-terminal FLAG-tags on NM2b results in a weakened affinity of the protein for the FLAG-affinity column. In contrast, the N-terminally FLAG-tagged protein usually binds well to the FLAG-affinity column23. The N-terminally tagged protein retains enzymatic activity, mechanical activity and phosphorylation-dependent regulation23.

In this paper, a truncated mouse M5a heavy meromyosin (HMM)-like construct with a GFP between the FLAG-tag and the C-terminus of the myosin heavy chain was used. Note that unlike NM2b, M5a-HMM can be successfully tagged and purified with either N- or C-terminal FLAG tags and in both cases the resulting construct will be active. The M5a heavy chain was truncated at amino acid 1090 and contains a three amino acid linker (GCG) between the GFP and the coiled-coil region of the M5a47. No additional linker was added between the GFP and FLAG-tag. M5a-HMM was co-expressed with calmodulin. The full-length human NM2b construct was co-expressed with ELC and RLC. The N-termini of the RLC was fused with a GFP via a linker of five amino acids (SGLRS). Directly attached to the FLAG-tag was a HaloTag. Between the HaloTag and the N-terminus of the myosin heavy chain was a linker made of two amino acids (AS).

Both myosin preparations were purified from one liter of Sf9 cell culture infected with baculovirus at a density of approximately 2 x 106 cells/mL. The volumes of the baculovirus for each subunit depended on the virus's multiplicity of infection as determined by the manufacturer's instructions. In the case of M5a, cells were co-infected with two different baculoviruses-one for calmodulin, and one for M5a heavy chain. In the case of the NM2b, cells were co-infected with three different viruses-one for ELC, one for RLC, and one for NM2b heavy chain. For labs working with a diversity of myosins (or other multi-complex proteins), this approach is efficient since it allows for many combinations of heavy and light chains and commonly used light chains such as calmodulin can be co-transfected with many different myosin heavy chains. All cell work was completed in a biosafety cabinet with proper sterile technique to avoid contamination.

For the expression of both M5a and NM2b, the Sf9 cells producing the recombinant myosins were collected 2-3 days post-infection, via centrifugation, and stored at -80 °C. Cell pellets were obtained by centrifuging the co-infected Sf9 cells at 4 °C for 30 min at 2,800 x g. The protein purification process is detailed below.

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Protocol

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1. Protein purification

  1. Cell lysis and protein extraction
    1. Prepare a 1.5x Extraction Buffer based on Table 1. Filter and store at 4 °C.
    2. Begin thawing the cell pellets on ice. While the pellets are thawing, supplement 100 mL of Extraction Buffer with 1.2 mM dithiothreitol (DTT), 5 µg/mL leupeptin, 0.5 µM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and two protease inhibitor tablets. Keep on ice.
    3. Once the pellet has thawed, add 1 mL of the supplemented Extraction Buffer per 10 mL of cell culture. For example, if the cell pellets were formed from 500 mL of cell culture, then add 50 mL of supplemented Extraction Buffer to the pellet.
    4. Sonicate the cell pellets while keeping them on ice. For each pellet, use the following conditions: 5 s ON, 5 s OFF, duration of 5 min, power 4-5.
    5. Collect all the homogenized lysate into a beaker and add ATP (0.1 M stock solution; pH 7.0) such that the final concentration of ATP is 1 mM. Stir for 15 min in a cold room. The ATP dissociates active myosin from actin, allowing it to be separated in the following centrifugation step. It is, therefore, essential to proceed to the next step immediately to minimize the possibility for ATP depletion and rebinding to actin.
    6. Centrifuge the lysates at 48,000 x g for 1 h at 4 °C. While this is occurring, begin washing 1-5 mL of a 50% slurry of Anti-FLAG affinity resin (for a pellet formed from 1 L of cells) with 100 mL phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), according to the manufacturer's instructions. For example, for 5 mL of resin, wash 10 mL of a 50% slurry. In the final wash step, resuspend the resin with 1-5 mL of PBS with enough volume to create a 50% slurry.
    7. Following lysate centrifugation, combine the supernatant with the washed resin slurry and rock gently in the cold room for 1-4 h. While waiting, make the buffers described in Table 1 and keep them on ice.
  2. FLAG affinity purification preparation
    1. Centrifuge the solution in step 1.7 at 500 x g for 5 min at 4 °C. The resin will be packed at the bottom of the tube. Without disturbing the resin, remove the supernatant.
    2. Resuspend the resin in 50 mL of Buffer A as detailed in Table 1 and centrifuge at 500 x g for 5 min at 4 °C. Without disturbing the resin, remove the supernatant.
    3. Resuspend the resin in 50 mL of Buffer B as detailed in Table 1 and centrifuge at 500 x g for 5 min at 4 °C. Repeat this step once more and resuspend the resin in 20 mL of Buffer B. Then, mix the resin and the buffer thoroughly by gently inverting the tube by hand approximately 10 times.
  3. Protein elution and concentration
    1. Make 30 mL of Elution Buffer as described in Table 1 and let it chill on ice.
    2. Set up the elution column in a cold room. Gently pour the resin slurry into the column. Wash the column with 1-2 column volumes of Buffer B as the resin packs on the bottom, ensuring that the resin does not dry out.
    3. Flow 1 mL of the Elution Buffer through the resin and collect the flow-through in a 1.5 mL tube. Repeat such that 12, 1 mL fractions are collected.
    4. At this point, perform a crude Bradford test on the fractions to qualitatively determine which fractions are the most concentrated48. On one row of a 96-well plate, pipette 60 µL 1x Bradford reagent. As fractions are collected, mix 20 µL of each fraction per well. A darker blue coloration indicates the more concentrated fractions.
    5. In a 50 mL tube, collect the remaining protein by gently pipetting the remaining Elution Buffer through the column, to release any remaining myosin bound to the resin in the column flowthrough. This flow-through will be concentrated in the next step. Ensure that the resin is then regenerated for reuse and stored according to the manufacturer's instructions.
    6. Pool the three most concentrated fractions and further concentrate the flow-through in the 50 mL tube as well as the remaining 1 mL fractions using a 100,000 MWCO concentrating tube. Load the pooled sample onto the concentrating tube and centrifuge at 750 x g for 15 min at 4 °C and repeat until all eluted protein has been concentrated to a final volume of approximately 0.5-1 mL.
      ​NOTE: This pore size allows for the retention of the myosin molecules, which have masses several times the molecular weight cutoff. The light chains remain tightly bound to the motor domains during this time course of concentration, as verified by performing SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis on the final product.
  4. Dialysis and flash-freezing
    1. Make 2 L of Dialysis Buffer, as described in Table 1. Load the sample in a dialysis bag or chamber and dialyze overnight in the cold room. Note that the composition of the dialysis buffers differs for NM2b and M5a.
      ​NOTE: In the case of NM2b, the purpose of this dialysis step is to form myosin filaments in the low ionic strength buffer. Sedimentation of these filaments then provides an additional purification step and allows for the concentration of the sample. There will, therefore, be a visible white precipitate in the dialysis chamber the next day. These filaments will be collected by centrifugation and depolymerized in step 5.1. In the case of M5a-HMM, after the overnight dialysis, the protein will be sufficiently pure for the use in subsequent assays. Further purification steps such as gel filtration or ionic exchange chromatography can be performed, if required. For M5a recovery after dialysis, go to step 5.2.
  5. Recovering myosin after dialysis
    1. For NM2b, carefully unload the entire sample from the dialysis bag or chamber and centrifuge at 4 °C for 15 min at 49,000 x g to collect the myosin filaments. Discard the supernatant and incrementally add the Storage Buffer to the pellet as described in Table 1 until it has dissolved. Gentle up and down pipetting helps to solubilize the pellet. Normally, this does not require more than 500 µL per tube. After ensuring that the pellet is fully dissolved in the high ionic strength storage buffer, an additional centrifugation step (15 min at 49,000 x g) can be performed to remove unwanted aggregates if required, since the myosin will now be unpolymerized and will remain in the supernatant.
    2. For M5a-HMM, carefully collect the entire sample from the dialysis chamber and centrifuge at 4 °C for 15 min at 49,000 x g in case any unwanted aggregates are present. Take the supernatant.
  6. Concentration determination and flash-freezing
    1. To determine the concentration of the product, measure the absorbance using a spectrophotometer at wavelengths 260, 280, 290, and 320 nm. Calculate the concentration in mg/mL (cmg/mL) with Equation 1, where A280 represents the absorption at 280 nm and A320 represents the absorption at 320 nm. The resulting concentration in mg/mL can be converted into µM of myosin molecules with Equation 2, where M is the molecular weight of the entire protein (including the heavy chains, light chains, fluorophores, and all tags).
      cmg/mL = (A280 - A320) / ε   (1)
      μM molecules = 1000cmg/mL/M   (2)
      NOTE: If a dilution is necessary, then it must be done in a high ionic strength buffer. The extinction coefficient (ε) can be determined by importing the amino acid sequence of the protein into a program such as ExPASy. Typical yield for the M5a-HMM is approximately 0.5-1 mL of 1-5 mg/mL protein and for the full-length NM2b is 0.5-1 mL of 0.5-2 mg/mL. The extinction coefficient for the M5a-HMM used in this paper was 0.671. The extinction coefficient for the NM2b used in this paper was 0.611.
    2. Store the purified myosin in one of the two ways. Aliquot between 10-20 µL into a thin-walled tube, such as a polymerization chain reaction tube, and drop the tube into a container of liquid nitrogen for flash-freezing. Alternatively, directly pipette between 20-25 µL of myosin into liquid nitrogen and store the frozen beads of protein in sterile cryogenic tubes. In either case, the resulting tubes can be stored in -80 °C or liquid nitrogen for future use.
      ​NOTE: Since both motility assays described below require very small amounts of protein, storage in small aliquots, as described, is economical.

2. Gliding actin filament assay

  1. Coverslip preparation
    1. Make a 1% nitrocellulose solution in amyl acetate.
    2. Obtain a tissue culture dish (150 x 25 mm) and add a circular filter paper (125 mm diameter) to the bottom of the dish.
    3. Load eight No. 1.5 thickness 22 mm square coverslips onto a rack and wash with approximately 2-5 mL of 200-proof ethanol followed by 2-5 mL of distilled water (dH2O). Repeat this washing step, ending with water. Then, dry the coverslips completely using a filtered air-line or N2-line.
    4. Take one coverslip and slowly pipette 10 µL of the 1% nitrocellulose solution along one edge of the slip. Then, in one smooth motion, smear it across the rest of the coverslip using the side of a smooth-sided 200 µL pipette tip. Place this coverslip on the tissue culture dish with the nitrocellulose side up. Repeat for the remaining coverslips and allow them to dry while preparing the remaining reagents and use coverslips within 24 h after coating.
  2. Chamber preparation
    1. Wipe a microscope slide with an optical lens paper to clean off large debris. Cut two pieces of double-sided tape, approximately 2 cm in length.
    2. Place one piece along the middle of the long edge of the microscope slide. Ensure that the edge of the tape aligns with the edge of the slide. Place the second piece of tape roughly 2 mm below the first piece of tape such that the two are parallel and aligned. This creates a flow chamber that can hold approximately 10 µL of solution (see Figure 1).
    3. Take one of the nitrocellulose-coated coverslips from Part 1. Carefully stick the coverslip onto the tape such that the side coated with nitrocellulose is making direct contact with the tape, (see Figure 1). Using a pipette tip, gently press down on the slide-tape interface to ensure that the coverslip has properly adhered to the slide. Cut the excess tape hanging over the edge of the slide with a razor blade.
  3. Actin preparation
    1. Make 20 µM F-actin by polymerizing globular actin (G-actin) in polymerization buffer (50 mM KCl, 2 mM MgCl2, 1 mM DTT, 25 mM MOPS (pH 7.0)) at 4 °C overnight.
    2. Dilute F-actin to 5 µM in motility buffer (20 mM MOPS, 5 mM MgCl2, 0.1 mM EGTA, 1 mM DTT (pH 7.4)). Label with at least 1.2x molar excess of rhodamine-phalloidin. Leave (covered in aluminum foil) for at least 2 h on ice. This can be used for up to 1-2 months, stored on ice.
  4. Performing the myosin 5a gliding actin filament assay
    ​NOTE: In this section, the details of the myosin 5a (HMM) gliding assay are provided.
    1. Prepare the solutions for myosin 5a described in Table 2 and keep them on ice.
    2. Flow in 10 µL of the myosin 5a (50-100 nM) through the flow chamber and wait for 1 min.
    3. Flow in 10 µL of the 1 mg/mL BSA in 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT ("low salt" buffer). Repeat this wash two more times and wait for 1 min after the third wash. Use the corner of a tissue paper or filter paper to wick the solution through the channel by gently placing the corner of the paper at the flow chamber exit.
    4. Wash with 10 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times.
    5. Flow in 10 µL of the black actin solution (5 µM F-actin, 1 µM calmodulin, and 1 mM ATP in 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT) to eliminate "dead heads", as discussed in the Discussion section.
      1. Pipette the solution with a 1 mL syringe and 27 G needle to shear the actin filaments before introducing the solution to the chamber. Repeat this step two more times and wait for 1 min after the third time. Approximately 20 pipetting events are sufficient.
      2. To perform the "dead head" spin, add a stoichiometric amount of F-actin to myosin in the presence of 1 mM ATP and 1 mM MgCl2 at a salt concentration of 500 mM. Then ultracentrifuge at 480,000 x g for 15 min at 4 °C. The dead myosin will be in the pellet.
    6. Flow in 50 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT and 1 mM ATP to deplete the chamber of free actin filaments.
    7. Wash with 10 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times to deplete the chamber of any ATP.
    8. Flow in 10 µL of 20 nM rhodamine actin (Rh-Actin) solution containing 1 mM DTT in 50 mM MB and wait for 1 min to allow rigor binding of actin filaments to the myosin 5a attached to the surface of the coverslip.
    9. Wash with 10 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT to wash away Rh-Actin filaments not bound to the surface. Repeat this wash two more times.
    10. Flow in 30 µL of Final Buffer.
    11. Record images on a fluorescence microscope using an excitation wavelength of 561 nm to visualize Rh-Actin. An appropriate exposure time is 200 ms at 1.4 mW laser power for a total acquisition duration of 0.5-1 min.
      NOTE: Ensure that the acquisition rate is scaled appropriately to the speed of the moving filaments. An important consideration before collecting data for use with tracking programs is the acquisition frame rate. Subpixel movements between frames will result in an overestimate of the velocity, and movements of several hundred nanometers are required to obtain accurate values. An optimal acquisition rate features actin gliding for at least one pixel distance between frames. In the case of the TIRF microscope used for the imaging here, this threshold translates to 130 nm; therefore, a myosin expected to travel 1 µm/s must be imaged at a rate of 5 frames/s (0.2 s interval) to achieve 200 nm of movement while a myosin expected to travel 10 nm/s requires 0.05 frames/s (20 s intervals). Data can therefore be downsampled at this stage if necessary (see Discussion for more details).
  5. Performing the nonmuscle myosin 2b gliding actin filament assay
    ​NOTE: In this section, the details of the full-length nonmuscle myosin 2b gliding assay are provided. The nonmuscle myosin 2b gliding actin filament assay protocol is different from the myosin 5a protocol at certain steps. Ensure that the correct buffers are used for each of these steps. For example, the NM2b assay requires attachment of myosin to the coverslip in high salt buffer while the M5a can be attached to the coverslip in high or low salt buffers. Additionally, the M5a gliding actin filament assay uses a lower concentration of myosin to mitigate the frequency of actin filaments breaking apart during acquisition.
    1. Prepare the solutions for NM2b as described in Table 2 and keep them on ice.
    2. Flow in 10 µL of the nonmuscle myosin 2b (0.2 µM) in 500 mM Motility Buffer (MB) ("high salt" buffer) and 1 mM dithiothreitol (DTT) through the flow chamber and wait for 1 min.
      NOTE: The high salt buffers dissociate myosin filaments and allow for the attachment of single myosin molecules to the surface, as nonmuscle myosin 2b can polymerize into filaments at ionic concentration <150 mM.
    3. Flow in 10 µL of the 1 mg/mL bovine serum albumin (BSA) in 500 mM MB with 1 mM DTT ("high salt" buffer) as described in Table 2. Repeat this wash two more times and wait for 1 min after the third wash. Use the corner of a tissue paper or filter paper to wick the solution through the channel.
    4. Wash with 10 µL of 500 mM MB with 1 mM DTT as described in Table 2. Repeat this wash two more times.
    5. Flow in 10 µL of the black actin solution as described in Table 2 to eliminate "dead heads," as discussed further in the Discussion section. The black actin solution contains 5 µM of unlabeled F-actin, 1-10 nM MLCK, 1 mM ATP, 0.2 mM CaCl2, 1 µM CaM, and 1 mM DTT in 50 mM NaCl motility buffer to phosphorylate the nonmuscle myosin 2b on the surface of the chamber.
      1. Pipette the solution with a 1 mL syringe and 27 G needle to shear the actin filaments before introducing the solution to the chamber. Repeat this step two more times and wait for 1 min after the third time. Approximately, 20 pipetting events are sufficient.
    6. Flow in 50 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT and 1 mM ATP to deplete the chamber of free actin filaments.
    7. Wash with 10 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times to deplete the chamber of any ATP.
    8. Flow in 10 µL of 20 nM Rh-Actin solution containing 1 mM DTT in 50 mM MB and wait for 1 min to allow rigor binding of actin filaments to the nonmuscle myosin 2b attached to the surface of the coverslip.
    9. Wash with 10 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT to wash away Rh-Actin filaments not bound to the surface. Repeat this wash two more times.
    10. Flow in 30 µL of Final Buffer. For nonmuscle myosin 2b gliding actin filament assay, the Final Buffer also includes calmodulin, CaCl2, and myosin light chain kinase to provide full phosphorylation of the nonmuscle myosin 2b during video imaging. 0.7% methylcellulose can also be included in the Final Buffer if actin filaments are only loosely bound or are not bound to the surface. This is discussed further in the Discussion section.
    11. Record images on a fluorescence microscope using an excitation wavelength of 561 nm. An appropriate exposure time is 200 ms at 1.4 mW laser power for a total acquisition duration of 0.5 -3 min.
      NOTE: Ensure that the acquisition rate is scaled appropriately to the speed of the moving filaments. An important consideration before collecting data for use with tracking programs is the acquisition frame rate. Subpixel movements between frames will result in an overestimate of the velocity, and movements of several hundred nanometers are required to obtain accurate values. An optimal acquisition rate features actin gliding for at least one pixel distance between frames. In the case of the TIRF microscope used for the imaging here, this threshold translates to 130 nm; therefore, a myosin expected to travel 1 µm/s must be imaged at a rate of 5 frames/s (0.2 s interval) to achieve 200 nm of movement while a myosin expected to travel 10 nm/s requires 0.05 frames/s (20 s intervals). Data can therefore be down-sampled at this stage, if necessary (see Discussion for more details).

3. Single molecule TIRF assay

  1. Coverslip preparation
    1. Divide the stock powder into 10 mg aliquots (in 1.5 mL tubes) of methoxy-Peg-silane (mPEG) and 10 mg aliquots of biotin-Peg-silane (bPEG). Store at -20 °C in a sealed, moisture-free container and use within 6 months.
    2. Load eight No. 1.5H (high precision) thickness 22-mm square coverslips onto a rack and wash with 2-5 mL of 200-proof ethanol followed by 2-5 mL of distilled water. Repeat this washing step, ending with water. Then, dry the coverslips completely using an air-line or N2 and plasma-clean with argon for 3 min.
    3. Place the clean coverslips on filter paper (90 mm) in a tissue culture dish (100 x 20 mm) and incubate in a 70 °C oven while performing the following steps.
      ​NOTE: The plasma cleaning can be replaced with other chemical cleaning methods49.
    4. Prepare 80% ethanol solution with dH2O and adjust the pH to 2.0 using HCl. Add 1 mL of this to a 10 mg aliquot of mPEG and 1 mL to a 10 mg aliquot of bPEG. Vortex to dissolve, which should not take more than 30 s.
    5. Take 100 µL of the bPEG solution and add 900 µL of 80% ethanol (pH 2.0). This solution is 1 mg/mL bPEG. Then, make a solution of both the PEGs as follows, mixing thoroughly.
      1. 200 µL of 10 mg/mL mPEG (final concentration: 2 mg/mL).
      2. 10 µL of the 1 mg/mL bPEG (final concentration: 10 µg/mL).
      3. 790 µL of the 80% ethanol (pH 2.0) solution.
    6. Take the coverslips out of the oven. Carefully dispense 100 µL of the PEG solution onto the center of each coverslip, ensuring that only the top surface is wet. Then, place the slips back in the oven and incubate for 20 to 30 min.
    7. When the coverslips begin to take on a holey appearance, with small circles apparent across the surface, remove them from the oven.
    8. Wash each coverslip with 100% ethanol, dry with an air-line, and place back in the oven. Incubate only for the time required to create chambers in step 2.
  2. Chamber preparation
    1. Clean a microscope slide for use in making the chamber. Cut two pieces of double-sided tape, approximately 2 cm in length.
    2. Place one piece along the middle of the long edge of the microscope slide. Ensure that the edge of the tape aligns with the edge of the slide. Place the second piece of tape roughly 2 mm below the first piece of tape such that the two are parallel and aligned.
    3. Take one of the functionalized coverslips from the oven (created in 3.1). Carefully stick the coverslip onto the tape such that the side coated with PEG is face down and making direct contact with the tape, as shown in Figure 1. Using a pipette tip, gently press down on the slide-tape interface to ensure that the coverslip has properly adhered to the slide.
    4. Cut the excess tape hanging over the slide with a razor blade. These chambers can be used immediately or placed pairwise into a 50 mL tube and stored in a -80 °C freezer for future use. It is important to store immediately or the surface will degrade.
  3. Performing the myosin 5a TIRF microscopy assay
    1. Prepare the solutions for myosin 5a inverted motility assay described in Table 3 and keep them on ice.
    2. Wash the chamber with 10 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT.
    3. Flow in 10 µL of the 1 mg/mL BSA in 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times and wait for 1 min after the third wash. Use the corner of a tissue paper or filter paper to wick the solution through the channel.
    4. Wash with 10 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times.
    5. Flow in 10 µL of the NeutrAvidin solution in 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT and wait for 1 min.
    6. Wash with 10 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times.
    7. Flow in 10 µL of biotinylated rhodamine actin (bRh-Actin) containing 1 mM DTT in 50 mM MB and wait for 1 min. For this step, use a large-bored pipette tip and avoid pipetting up and down to minimize shearing of the fluorescent actin filaments to ensure that long actin filaments can be attached to the surface (20-30 µm or longer). An effective alternative is cutting the cone of a standard pipette tip (with an opening of ≈1-1.5 mm).
    8. Wash with 10 µL of 50 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times.
    9. Flow in 30 µL of Final Buffer with 10 nM myosin 5a added, then immediately load onto the TIRF microscope and record after finding the optimum focus for TIRF imaging modality. Exposure times between 100-200 ms are appropriate at 1.4 mW laser power for the actin and GFP-labeled myosin. An appropriate acquisition time for velocity analysis is 3 min.
  4. Performing the nonmuscle myosin 2b TIRF microscopy assay
    ​NOTE: In this section, the details of the nonmuscle myosin 2b TIRF assay using polymerized and phosphorylated filaments are provided. Detailed protocol (sections 4.1-4.3) for phosphorylating and polymerizing the nonmuscle myosin-2b in a tube is included.
    1. To phosphorylate the purified NM2b, make a 10x kinase mix with the following conditions: 2 mM CaCl2, 1 µM CaM, 1-10 nM MLCK, and 0.1 mM ATP. This can be brought to volume with 500 mM MB with 10 mM DTT. Add the 10x kinase mix to the myosin at a volumetric ratio of 1:10 and allow this to incubate for 20-30 min at room temperature. Typically, the myosin concentration for this step is 1 µM.
    2. To polymerize the phosphorylated myosin into filaments, lower the salt concentration of the NM2b to 150 mM NaCl. To do so, make a 1x motility buffer (1x MB) with no salt by diluting the 4x MB four times in dH2O. This 1x MB can be used to lower the salt concentration because the NM2b was frozen in a 500 mM salt buffer.
    3. For every 3 µL of stock NM2b, add 7 µL of 1x MB to lower the salt concentration to 150 mM NaCl and incubate on ice for 20-30 min to form NM2b filaments.
      ​NOTE: The order in sections 4.1-4.3 is not crucial as long as the NM2b is phosphorylated and the final salt concentration is 150 mM. Incubation on the order of 30 min-1 h allows enough time for complete phosphorylation and polymerization.
    4. Prepare the solutions for nonmuscle myosin 2b inverted motility assay described in Table 3 and keep them on ice.
    5. Wash the chamber with 10 µL of 150 mM MB with 1 mM DTT.
    6. Flow in 10 µL of the 1 mg/mL BSA in 150 mM MB with 1 mM DTT Repeat this wash two more times and wait for 1 min after the third wash. Use the corner of a tissue paper or filter paper to wick the solution through the channel.
    7. Wash with 10 µL of 150 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times.
    8. Flow in 10 µL of the NeutrAvidin solution in 150 mM MB with 1 mM DTT and wait for 1 min.
    9. Wash with 10 µL of 150 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times.
    10. Flow in 10 µL of bRh-Actin and wait for 1 min. For this step, use a large-bored pipette tip and avoid pipetting up and down to minimize shearing of the fluorescent actin filaments, to ensure that long actin filaments can be attached to the surface (20-30 µm or longer). An effective alternative is cutting the cone of a standard pipette tip.
    11. Wash with 10 µL of 150 mM MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times.
    12. Flow in 10 µL of the nonmuscle myosin 2b solution (approximately 30 nM) and wait for 1 min.
    13. Wash with 10 µL of 150 MB with 1 mM DTT. Repeat this wash two more times.
    14. Flow in 30 µL of Final Buffer, then immediately load onto the TIRF microscope and record after finding the optimum focus for TIRF imaging modality. Exposure times between 100-200 ms are appropriate at 1.4 mW laser power for the actin and GFP-labeled myosin. An appropriate acquisition time for velocity analysis is 3 min.

4. Image analysis

  1. Image analysis for gliding actin filament assay
    NOTE: The images can be analyzed using the software and manuals linked in the List of Materials. It is important to note that the program described here requires TIFF-stacks for analysis. The process for analyzing the gliding actin filament assay is as follows50.
    1. Upload raw movie stacks into a specified folder structure and input the top-most directory of the movie folders into the program.
      ​NOTE: The program analyzes the files throughout this directory and subdirectories, treating the lowest-level directories as replicates. Average statistics for each group of replicates will be produced. In this case, a single movie was used for each myosin. When characterizing a novel myosin or investigating a new experimental condition, it is recommended to analyze movies from three field-of-views (FOV) per chamber for a total of three chambers and to repeat this workflow for three preparations of the myosin being investigated.
    2. Use the script "stack2tifs" in conjunction with the user-inputted frame rate to convert each TIFF stack into a folder containing a series of individual TIFF files and a corresponding metadata.txt file containing the start time of each frame. For data not in the TIFF stack format, a conversion must first be applied using software such as those listed in the Table of Materials.
      NOTE: This script is the part of the software package. The information of the script can be found here:  "https://github.com/turalaksel/FASTrack/blob/master/bin/stack2tifs"
    3. Use the -px parameter, which is the pixel size (in nm) during acquisition. In this case, the pixel size is 130 nm. Use the -xmax and -ymax parameters for scaling the axes for the scatter plot outputs. These correspond to the longest plotted filament length and the maximum plotted velocity (in nm/s).
      ​NOTE: These are estimated values and can be set to higher-than-expected values to ensure data are contained in the plot. Following analysis, the raw data can also be exported for use in other statistical or graphing software for viewing and analysis.
    4. Use the -minv parameter, which is a minimum velocity cutoff parameter, to define the filaments that are not moving, and can, therefore, be excluded from the analysis. For a slow myosin such as NM2b, this parameter must be low (in this example, 5 nm/s) to avoid cutting out true gliding movements. For a fast myosin such as M5a, this parameter can be higher (in this example, 100 nm/s) to apply a more stringent filter, while retaining the true gliding speed distribution.
    5. Usethe -pt cutoff parameter to identify smooth movement. For each sampling window, a value is calculated equivalent to 100 x Velocity Standard Deviation/Mean velocity. Tracks with higher values than the cutoff, have more variable velocities and are excluded from further analysis. In this example, a cutoff value of 33 was used. Tracks with higher values have more variable velocities and are excluded from further analysis.
    6. Use -maxd to set a maximum allowed linkage distance between frames. This is a calculated frame-to-frame distance moved by the centroid of the filament in units of nm. It can be useful for excluding sporadic movements or incorrect linkage between filaments. In the examples here, the parameter was left on the default value of 2,000 nm.
  2. Image analysis for TIRF microscopy assay
    NOTE: The process for analyzing the single molecule TIRF assay on the imaging software specifically listed in the Table of Materials is as follows29.
    1. Click and drag the recorded microscopy video to the software's workspace to open it51. Then, split the acquisition channels. Click on Image > Color > Split Channels.
      NOTE: In the event of appreciable stage drift during the acquisition, images must be stabilized to correct instrumental drift on the imaging plane. In this case, no compensation for Z-axis drift was used as the microscope used to obtain this data stabilizes the Z-focus well. To stabilize the image on the image analysis program, install the appropriate stabilizer plug-in that is linked on the List of Materials. The image stabilizer assumes fixed positions for the objects in the image and uses a rolling average of the previous frames as a reference. The recommended procedure is therefore to begin with the channel containing images of labeled actin, since this is in a fixed position.
    2. Click on Plugins, then find Image Stabilizer; ensure that Translation is selected and keep the default settings. Check the box next to Log Transformation Coefficients. Applying this Log step allows for the calculated shift parameters to be applied to the other channel in the next step. Allow for the process to complete.
    3. Then, open the channel with labeled myosin and apply the stabilization by clicking on Plugins > Image Stabilizer Log Applier. If images of actin cannot be acquired during the same acquisition due to a requirement for higher rate imaging in a single channel, drift stabilize the stack of images by selecting a region that contains static objects such as a biotinylated fiducial marker or fluorophores bound non-specifically to the biotin-PEG surface. This region can be cropped from the original stack and stabilized, followed by application of the resulting shift values to the original stack.
      ​NOTE: In practice, the drift observed in motility experiments will be negligible relative to the motion of myosins which move at several hundred nm/s, but for the slowest myosins this becomes an important consideration.
    4. Then, open TrackMate, click on Plugins; then, in its dropdown menu click on Tracking and finally on TrackMate. At this point, the image analysis is subject to optimization based on the parameters of the fluorophore and assay conditions. However, ideal starting parameters are as follows.
      1. Calibration settings: keep all of the default values.
      2. Detector: LoG detector.
      3. Estimated blob diameter: 0.5-1.0 micron.
      4. Threshold: 25-200. (This can be determined by clicking on Preview after choosing a number to see whether the detected spots match up to the movie and adjusting appropriately.)
      5. Initial thresholding: not set.
      6. View: HyperStack Displayer.
      7. Set filters on spots: not set.
      8. Tracker: Simple LAP tracker.
        ​NOTE: These depend on frame rate and myosin velocity and must be large enough to connect subsequent positions while excluding unwanted connections between different particles.
      9. Linking max distance: 1.0 micron.
      10. Gap-closing max distance: 1.0 micron.
      11. Gap-closing max frame gap: 1.
      12. Set filters on tracks: Track Displacement (>0.39-to include only spots moving more than 3 pixels), Spots in tracks (>3-to include only tracks with at least 3 spots). Other filters such as Minimal Velocity may be introduced to exclude spots that stall for long periods. The results of filtering must be checked by visual inspection of tracks to ensure that spurious tracks (i.e., myosin movement in the background that is not along an actin track) are removed while retaining the tracks associated with actin.
    5. Once the Display Options screen comes up, click on Analysis for the relevant outputs. Save the three tables produced (Track Statistics, Links in Track Statistics, and Spots in Track Statistics). The Track Statistics table will contain the velocity and displacement data that can then be subsequently analyzed to characterize a novel protein or the effects of a certain experimental condition, for example.

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Results

$$\rightleftharpoonup{xx}$$ $$\longleftharp{xx}$$, $$\longrightharp{xx}$$,

The purification of myosin can be evaluated by performing reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide (SDS-PAGE) gel-electrophoresis as shown in Figure 2. While this figure represents the final, post-dialyzed myosin, SDS-PAGE can be performed on aliquots from the various stages of the purification procedure to identify any products lost to the supernatant. Myosin 5a HMM has a band in the 120-130 kDa range and the full-length nonmuscle myosin 2b has a band in the 200-230 kDa range, corresp...

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Discussion

$$\rightleftharpoonup{xx}$$ $$\longleftharp{xx}$$, $$\longrightharp{xx}$$,

Presented here is a workflow for the purification and in vitro characterization of myosin 5a and nonmuscle myosin 2b. This set of experiments is useful for quantifying the mechanochemical properties of purified myosin constructs in a fast and reproducible manner. Although the two myosins shown here are just two specific examples out of the many possibilities, the conditions and techniques can be applied, with some tailoring, to most myosins and to many other motor proteins.

The protocols discu...

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Disclosures

$$\rightleftharpoonup{xx}$$ $$\longleftharp{xx}$$, $$\longrightharp{xx}$$,

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

$$\rightleftharpoonup{xx}$$ $$\longleftharp{xx}$$, $$\longrightharp{xx}$$,

We thank Dr. Fang Zhang for technical assistance with the preparation of the reagents used for collecting this data. This work was supported by the NHLBI/NIH Intramural Research Program funds HL001786 to J.R.S.

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Materials

List of materials used in this article
NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
1 mL SyringeBD309628
2 M CaCl2 SolutionVWR10128-558
2 M MgCl2 SolutionVWR10128-298
27 Gauge NeedleBecton Dickinson309623
5 M NaCl SolutionKD MedicalRGE-3270
Acetic AcidThermoFisher Scientific984303
Amyl AcetateLadd Research Industries10825
Anti-FLAG M2 Affinity GelMillipore SigmaA2220https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/content/dam/sigma-aldrich/docs/Sigma/Bulletin/a2220bul.pdf
ATPMillipore SigmaA7699
Biotinylated G-ActinCytoskeleton, Inc.AB07
Bovine Serum AlbuminMillipore Sigma5470
bPEG-silaneLaysan Bio, IncBiotin-PEG-SIL-3400-1g
Bradford Reagent ConcentrateBio-Rad5000006
CalmodulinPMID: 2985564
CatalaseMillipore SigmaC40
Cell Line (Sf9) in SF-900 II SFMThermoFisher Scientific11496015http://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/manuals/bevtest.pdf https://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/manuals/bactobac_man.pdf
Circular Filter Paper - Gliding AssayMillipore SigmaWHA1001125
Circular Filter Paper - Inverted AssayMillipore SigmaWHA1001090
cOmplete, EDTA-Free Protease Inhibitor TabletsMillipore Sigma5056489001This should be stored at 4 °C. The tablets can be used directly or can be reconstituted as a 25x stock solution by dissolving 1 tablet in 2 mL of distilled water. The resulting solution can be stored at 4 °C for 1-2 weeks or at least 12 weeks at -20 °C. 
Concentrating Tubes (100,000 MWCO)EMD Millipore CorporationUFC910024The MWCO of the tube is not necessarily "one size fits all," as long as the MWCO is less than the total molecular weight of the protein being purified. The NM2b herein was concentrated with a 100,000 MWCO tube and the M5a was concentrated with a 30,000 MWCO tube.
Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 DyeThermoFisher Scientific20278
Coverslip RackMillipore SigmaZ688568-1EA
Coverslips: Gliding Acting Filament AssayVWR International48366-227
Coverslips: Inverted Motility AssayAzer ScientificES0107052
Dialysis Tubing (3500 Dalton MCWO)Fischer Scientific08-670-5AThe diameter of the dialysis tube can vary, but the MWCO should be the same. The NM2b used herein was dialyzed in an 18 mm dialysis tube. The tubes can be stored in 20% alcohol solution at 4 °C.
DL-DithiothreitolMillipore SigmaD0632
Double-Sided TapeOffice Depot909955
DYKDDDDK PeptideGenScriptRP10586This can be dissolved in a buffer containing 0.1 M NaCl, 0.1 mM EGTA, 3 mM NaN3, and 10 mM MOPS (pH 7.2) to a final concentration of 50 mg/mL. This can be stored at -20 °C as 300 µL aliquots. 
EGTAMillipore SigmaE4378
Elution ColumnBio-Rad761-1550These can be reused. To clean, rinse the column with 2-3 column volumes of PBS and distilled water. Chill the column at 4° C before use.
EthanolFischer ScientificA4094
G-actinPMID: 4254541G-actin stock can be stored at 200 μM in liquid N2.
GlucoseMillipore SigmaG8270
Glucose OxidaseMillipore SigmaG2133
Glycine Buffer Solution, 100 mM, pH 2-2.5, 1 LSanta Cruz Biotechnologysc-295018
HaloTagPromegaG100A
HClMillipore Sigma320331
KClFischer ScientificP217-500
Large-Orifice Pipet TipsFischer Scientific02-707-134
Leupeptin Protease InhibitorThermoFisher Scientific78435
Mark12 Unstained Standard LadderThermoFisher ScientificLC5677
MethanolMillipore SigmaMX0482
MethylcelluloseMillipore SigmaM0512
Microscope SlidesFischer Scientific12-553-10
MOPSFischer ScientificBP308-100
mPEG-silaneLaysan Bio, IncMPEG-SIL-2000-1g
Myosin Light Chain KinasePMID: 23148220FLAG-tagged MLCK can be purified the same way that the FLAG-tagged myosin was purified herein. 
NaN3Millipore SigmaS8032
NeutrAvidinThermoFisher Scientific31050
NitrocelluloseLadd Research Industries10800
NuPAGE 4 to 12% Bis-Tris Mini Protein Gel, 15-wellThermoFisher ScientificNP0323PK2
NuPAGE LDS Sample Buffer (4X)ThermoFisher ScientificNP0007
Phosphate-Buffered Saline, pH 7.4ThermoFisher Scientific10010023
PMSFMillipore Sigma78830PMSF can be made as a 0.1 M stock solution in isopropanol and stored in 4 °C. Isopropanol addition results in crystal precipitation, which can be dissolved by stirring at room temperature. Immediately before use, PMSF can be added dropwise to a rapidly stirring solution to a final concentration of 0.1 mM. 
Razor BladesOffice Depot397492
Rhodamine-PhalloidinThermoFisher ScientificR415Stock can be diluted in 100% methanol to a final concentration of 200 μM.
Sf9 MediaThermoFisher Scientific12658-027This should be stored at 4° C. Its shelf life is 18 months from the date of manufacture.
Tissue Culture Dish - Gliding AssayCorning353025Each tissue culture dish can hold approximately nine coverslips.
Tissue Culture Dish - Inverted AssayCorning353003Each tissue culture dish can hold approximately four coverslips.
Smooth-sided 200 µL Pipette TipsThomas Scientific1158U38
EQUIPMENT
CentrifugeThermoFisher Scientific75006590
MicroscopeNikonModel: Eclipse Ti with H-TIRF system with 100x TIRF Objective (N.A. 1.49)
Microscope CameraAndorModel: iXon DU888 EMCCD camera (1024 x 1024 sensor format)
Microscope Environmental Control BoxTokai HITCustom Thermobox
Microscope Laser UnitNikonLU-n4 four laser unit with solid state lasers for 405nm, 488nm, 561nm,and 640nm
Mid Bench CentrifugeThermoFisher ScientificModel: CR3i
Misonix SonicatorMisonixXL2020
Optima Max-Xp Tabletop UltracentrifugeBeckman Coulter393315
Plasma-CleanerDiener electronic GmbH + Co. KGSystem Type: Zepto
Sonicator Probe (3.2 mm)Qsonica4418
Standard IncubatorBinderModel: 56
Waverly Tube MixerWaverlyTR6E
SOFTWARE
ImageJ FIJIhttps://imagej.net/Fiji/Downloads
FAST (Version 1.01)http://spudlab.stanford.edu/fast-for-automatic-motility-measurementsFAST is available for Mac OSX and Linux based systems.
Image Stabilizer Pluginhttps://imagej.net/Image_Stabilizer
ImageJ TrackMatehttps://imagej.net/TrackMate
Imaging SoftwareNIS Elements (AR package)
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~kangli/code/Image_Stabilizer.html
File:TrackMate-manual.pdf
https://github.com/turalaksel/FASTrack
https://github.com/turalaksel/FASTrack/blob/master/README.md

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Myosin Motility AssaysFluorescence MicroscopyGliding Actin FilamentInverted Motility AssayNonmuscle Myosin 2bMyosin 5a PurificationActin Filament TrackingSingle Molecule DynamicsTotal Internal ReflectionAffinity Chromatography

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