Engineering defined motor ensembles with DNA origami

Abstract

Many cytoskeletal motors function in groups to coordinate the spatial and temporal positioning of cellular cargo. While methods to study the biophysical properties of single motors are well established, methods to understand how multiple motors work synergistically or antagonistically are less well developed. Here, we describe a three-dimensional synthetic cargo structure made using DNA origami, which can be used to template defined numbers and types of cytoskeletal motors with programmable geometries and spacing. We describe methods for building the DNA origami structure, covalently attaching motors to DNA, forming the motor-DNA origami structure complex, and single-molecule assays to examine the motile properties of motor ensembles.

Keywords: Cytoskeleton; DNA origami; Dynein; Ensembles; Kinesin; Multiple motors; Myosin; Synthetic cargo.