Motility of Microtubules Driven by Kinesin in a Viscoelastic Media on Au Nano-Pillar Substrate

In vivo, organelles often exhibit bidirectional motility. Many papers reported that bidirectional motility is caused by the difference in the polarity of various kinds of motor proteins. Here, we report the bidirectional motility of microtubules propelled only by kinesin motor proteins in a viscoelastic media (methyl-cellulose) on a glass surface. We measured the frequency of bidirectional motility of microtubules and found it depends on the concentrations of both kinesin and methyl-cellulose. Furthermore, the number of motors involved in bidirectional motility was defined by the gold (Au) nano-pillars. These results will provide new insights into intercellular dynamics.