Biomolecular motor-powered self-assembly of dissipative nanocomposite rings

A study was conducted to demonstrate the mechanisms of biomolecular motors that drive the assembly and disassembly of the composite ring structure. Biotinylated microtubles were polymerized, to serve as the primary scaffold for binding streptavidin-coated quantum dots (SQDs) and assembling the nanocomposite rings. It was found that the microtubles contribute considerable mechanical strain energy to the nanocomposite ring, based on its relatively rigid nature. It was observed that the energy-dissipating component involves the chemo-mechanical transduction, which is associated with kinesin biomolecular motors in the form of ATP hydrolysis and the generation of ~40 pN nm of mechanical work, with an overall efficiency of ~50%. A kinesin-1 was purified from Drosophila melanogaster and used in gliding mobility assay, to assemble the nanocomposite rings.