Measurement of Breaking Force of Fluorescence Labelled Microtubules with Optical Tweezers
LIU Chun-Xiang1, GUO Hong-Lian1, XU Chun-Hua2, YUAN Ming2, LI Zhao-Lin1, CHENG Bing-Ying1, ZHANG Dao-Zhong1
1Optical Physics Laboratory, Institute of Physics and Center for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080
2State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry; College of Biological Sciences,China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094
Measurement of Breaking Force of Fluorescence Labelled Microtubules with Optical Tweezers
LIU Chun-Xiang1;GUO Hong-Lian1;XU Chun-Hua2;YUAN Ming2;LI Zhao-Lin1;CHENG Bing-Ying1;ZHANG Dao-Zhong1
1Optical Physics Laboratory, Institute of Physics and Center for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080
2State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry; College of Biological Sciences,China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094
Abstract： Under illumination of excitation light, the force that can make fluorescent dye-labelled microtubules break up is measured by using dual-beam optical tweezers. It is found that this force is about several piconewtons, which is two orders of magnitude smaller than that without fluorescence label. Microtubules can be elongated about 20% and the increase of the tensile force is nonlinear with the microtubule elongation. Some qualitative explanations are given for the mechanisms about the breakup and elongation of microtubules exposed to excitation light.
LIU Chun-Xiang;GUO Hong-Lian;XU Chun-Hua;YUAN Ming;LI Zhao-Lin;CHENG Bing-Ying;ZHANG Dao-Zhong. Measurement of Breaking Force of Fluorescence Labelled Microtubules with Optical Tweezers[J]. 中国物理快报, 2005, 22(5): 1278-1280.
LIU Chun-Xiang, GUO Hong-Lian, XU Chun-Hua, YUAN Ming, LI Zhao-Lin, CHENG Bing-Ying, ZHANG Dao-Zhong. Measurement of Breaking Force of Fluorescence Labelled Microtubules with Optical Tweezers. Chin. Phys. Lett., 2005, 22(5): 1278-1280.
2005, Vol. 22 
