Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/214938

Title

Flexural rigidity of a single microtubule

Author(s)

Takasone, Toru;  Juodkazis, Saulius;  Kawagishi, Yuji;  Yamaguchi, Akira;  Matsuo, Shigeki;  Sakakibara, Hitoshi;  Nakayama, Haruto;  Misawa, Hiroaki

Abstract

Microtubules, which are flexible biopolymers, can be used for nanotechnology applications (e.g., nano-actuator) as they have a rigidity similar to that of plexyglass and other plastic materials. The flexural rigidity, or bending stiffness, of microtubules was measured using a laser trapping technique and dark-field microscopy. One end of a microtubule rod was chemically bound to a glass microsphere, while the other end was bound to a silica glass substrate. Then, the microsphere was laser-trapped and manipulated to exert three different deformation modes on the microtubule. The values of flexural rigidity for these deformations were between 10(-25) and 10(-23) Nm(2) as measured for the 5-25 mum length microtubules. The origin of the length dependence of the flexural rigidity of microtubules is discussed.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics: Part 1: Regular Papers, Short Notes and Review Papers, Vol. 41, no. 5A (May 2002), pp. 3015-3019

Publication year

2002

FOR Code(s)

01 Mathematical Sciences;  02 Physical Sciences

Keyword(s)

Flexural rigidity;  Laser manipulation;  Laser trapping;  Laser tweezers;  Microtubule-associated proteins;  Radiation force

Publisher

Japan Society of Applied Physics

ISSN

0021-4922

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1143/jjap.41.3015

Copyright

Copyright © 2002 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.

Peer reviewed