Characterization of the processivity of the fast fungal kinesin, NKin, from Neurospora crassa, on the level of single molecules [Elektronische Ressource] / von Stefan Lakämper

Characterization of the processivity of the fast fungal kinesin, NKin, from Neurospora crassa, on the level of single molecules Vom dem Fachbereich Chemie der Universität Hannover zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Naturwissenschaften Dr.rer.nat. genehmigte Dissertation von Dipl. Biochem. Stefan Lakämper geboren am 02.02.1974, in Gütersloh 2003 Referent: Prof. Dr. Dietmar Manstein 1. Koreferent: Prof. Dr. Manfred Schliwa 2. Kont: Prof. Dr. Edgar Meyhöfer Tag der Promotion: 12. Dezember 2003 Abstract Molecular motors generate directed motion on all levels of organization in living organisms. They transduce chemical energy from binding and hydrolysis of ATP to mechanical work and produce movement along protein filaments. The dimeric motor kinesin is responsible for driving long range anterograde transport of vesicles and small particles along microtubules in the cell. The most prominent adaptation to this cellular function is the ability of single kinesin molecules to move for µm-long distances along the microtubule, taking hundreds of 8 nm-steps while producing forces of ~5pN. The chemo-mechanical processes underlying such processive movement have been studied extensively in animal conventional kinesins.