Dissecting Mechanoenzymatic Properties of Processive Myosins with Ultrafast Force-Clamp Spectroscopy

Summary

Presented here is a comprehensive protocol to perform ultrafast force-clamp experiments on processive myosin-5 motors, which could be easily extended to the study of other classes of processive motors. The protocol details all the necessary steps, from the setup of the experimental apparatus to sample preparation, data acquisition and analysis.

Abstract

Ultrafast force-clamp spectroscopy (UFFCS) is a single molecule technique based on laser tweezers that allows the investigation of the chemomechanics of both conventional and unconventional myosins under load with unprecedented time resolution. In particular, the possibility to probe myosin motors under constant force right after the actin-myosin bond formation, together with the high rate of the force feedback (200 kHz), has shown UFFCS to be a valuable tool to study the load dependence of fast dynamics such as the myosin working stroke. Moreover, UFFCS enables the study of how processive and non-processive myosin-actin interactions are influenced by the intensity and direction of the applied force.

By following this protocol, it will be possible to perform ultrafast force-clamp experiments on processive myosin-5 motors and on a variety of unconventional myosins. By some adjustments, the protocol could also be easily extended to the study of other classes of processive motors such as kinesins and dyneins. The protocol includes all the necessary steps, from the setup of the experimental apparatus to sample preparation, calibration procedures, data acquisition and analysis.

Introduction

In the last decades optical tweezers have been a valuable tool to elucidate the mechanochemistry of protein interactions at the single molecule level, due to the striking possibility of concurrent manipulation and measurement of conformational changes and enzymatic kinetics ^1,2. In particular, the capability to apply and measure forces in the range of those exerted by molecular motors in the cell, together with the capacity to measure sub-nanometer conformational changes, made optical tweezers a unique single-molecule tool for unraveling the chemomechanical properties of motor proteins and their mechanical reg....

Protocol

1. Optical setup

NOTE: The experimental setup is composed of double optical tweezers with nanometer pointing stability and < 1% laser intensity fluctuations. Under these conditions, stability of the dumbbell at the nanometer level is guaranteed under typical trap stiffness (0.1 pN/nm) and tension (1 pN - few tens of pN). Figure 2 shows a detailed scheme of the optical setup.

1. Optical tweezers design and construction ^9,10,11.
   1. Place all the components of the setup on an optical table according to t....

Results

Representative data consist in position records over time as shown in Figure 4. In the position record two kinds of displacement are visible. Firstly, when the myosin motor is not interacting with the actin filament the trapped beads are moving at constant velocity against the viscous drag force of the solution showing a linear displacement oscillating within the oscillation range set by the operator in a triangular wave³ (not visible in

Discussion

Although single molecule techniques, such as the three-bead assay, are technically challenging and low throughput, UFFCS improves the detection of molecular interactions thanks to the high signal-to-noise ratio of the data. UFFCS allows the study of the load-dependence of motor proteins, with the main advantages of applying the force very rapidly upon binding of the motor to the filament to probe early and very rapid events in force production and weak binding states under controlled force; maintaining the force constant.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Aliphatic Amine Latex Beads	ThermoFisher	A37362	1.0-μm diameter, 2% (w/v)
Acetone	Sigma	32201
Actin polymerization buffer	Cytoskeleton	BSA02	10X
AODs (acousto-optic deflectors)	AA Opto Electronic	DTS-XY 250	Laser beam deflectors
ATP	Sigma	A7699
Biotinylated-BSA	ThermoFisher	29130
BSA	Sigma	B4287
Calmodulin from porcine brain (CaM)	Merck Millipore	208783
Catalase from bovine liver	Sigma	C40
Condenser	Olympus	OlympusU-AAC, Aplanat, Achromat	NA 1.4, oil immersion
Creatine phosphate disodium salt tetrahydrate	Sigma	27920
Creatine Phosphokinase from rabbit muscle	Sigma	C3755
DDs	AA Opto Electronic	AA.DDS.XX	Two-channel digital synthesizer
DL-Dithiothreitol (DTT)/td>	Sigma	43819
EGTA	Sigma	E4378
G-actin protein	Cytoskeleton	AKL99
Glucose	Sigma	G7528
Glucose Oxidase from Aspergillus niger	Sigma	G7141
HaloTag succinimidyl ester O2 ligand	Promega	P1691
High vacuum silicone grease heavy	Merck Millipore	107921
KCl	Sigma	P9541
KH2PO4/K2HPO4	Sigma	P5379/ P8281
Labview	National Instruments	version 8.1	Data acquisition
Labview FPGA module	National Instruments	version 8.1	Fast Force-Clamp
Matlab	MathWorks	2016	Data analysis
MgCl2	Fluka	63020
Microscope Objective	Nikon	Plan-Apo 60X	NA 1.2, WD 0.2 mm, water imm.
MOPS	Sigma	M1254
Nitrocellulose	Sigma	N8267	0.45 pore size
Pentyl acetate solution	Sigma	46022
Pure Ethanol	Sigma	2860
QPDs	UDT	DLS-20	D Position Detecto
Rhodamine BSA	Molecular Probes	A23016
Rhodamine Phalloidin	Sigma	P1951
Silica beads	Bangslabs	SS04N	1.21 mm, 10% solids
Sodium azide	Sigma	S2002
Streptavidin protein	Sigma	189730