Tailoring collective motion of kinesin-driven microtubules via topographic landscapes

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how designing boundary shapes in microwells can control the self-organization of kinesin-driven microtubules, enabling programmable pattern formation for nanotechnological applications.

Contribution

We introduce a method to tailor microtubule patterns by shaping microwell boundaries, advancing the engineering control of cytoskeletal self-assembly.

Findings

Microtubule bundles form along microwell walls.

Boundary shape influences pattern transition.

Pattern formation aligns with self-propelled rod theory.

Abstract

Biomolecular motor proteins that generate forces by consuming chemical energy obtained from ATP hydrolysis are pivotal for organizing broad cytoskeletal structures in living cells. The control of such cytoskeletal structures benefits programmable protein patterning; however, our current knowledge is limited owing to the underdevelopment of an engineering approach for controlling pattern formation. Here, we demonstrate the tailoring of assembled patterns of microtubules (MTs) driven by kinesin motors by designing the boundary shape in fabricated microwells. We found an MT bundle structure along the microwell wall and a bridging structure perpendicular to the wall. Corroborated by the theory of self-propelled rods, we further showed that the alignment of MTs defined by the boundary shape determined the transition of the assembled patterns, providing a blueprint to reconstruct bridge structures in microchannels. Our findings provide a geometric rule to tailor the self-organization of cytoskeletons and motor proteins for nanotechnological applications.