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Biological Molecular Motor Lab (Ito-Haraguchi Lab)
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The lab explores myosin XI, the fastest molecular motor, which influences the growth of plants that cannot move.
AboutAbout the lab
The fastest molecular motor, inside plants that cannot move.
The Biological Molecular Motor Lab studies myosin XI, a motor protein found in plants.
Myosin is present in all eukaryotes and forms a large family divided into 79 classes.
Plants cannot move, yet myosin XI, found only in plants, moves faster than any other class.
Using biochemical and biophysical methods, the lab investigates its function and roles at levels ranging from single molecules to whole plants.
Key terms
- Myosin
- A protein called a “molecular motor” that moves along actin. It is responsible for muscle contraction and transport within cells
- Actin
- A protein that forms thin filaments in cells. It serves as the rail on which myosin moves
- Cytoplasmic streaming
- A phenomenon in which the cytoplasm flows in one direction inside plant cells. It occurs when myosin transports organelles
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
All eukaryotes have the motor protein myosin, and its speed and force differ greatly among classes. Focusing on the fact that myosin XI, found only in plants, is the fastest, the lab aims to clarify its function and roles at levels ranging from single molecules to whole plants.
*Illustrative imageMaking plants larger with myosin
When part of Arabidopsis myosin XI was replaced with that of Chara, cytoplasmic streaming in the cells became faster and the plants grew larger. This is joint research with Waseda University. The lab is now aiming to enlarge monocots such as cereal crops.
*Illustrative imageThe fastest myosin in the living world
Chara myosin XI moves orders of magnitude faster than the myosins of other animals and plants. By measuring reaction rates, the lab investigated why and found that it binds to actin differently. The lab is also examining its three-dimensional structure by making crystals.
*Illustrative imageHow 13 types of myosin are used selectively
Arabidopsis has 13 types of myosin XI, which differ greatly in speed and enzymatic activity and fall into three groups: fast, medium, and slow. It has become clear that plants use them selectively according to growth stage and role.
*Illustrative imageHow actin filaments align in the same direction
For cytoplasmic streaming to occur efficiently, actin filaments must line up in the same direction. The lab investigates how this alignment arises using an experimental system that reconstitutes reactions in a test tube.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorKohji Ito
- Assistant ProfessorTakeshi Haraguchi
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Chara coralllina var. kyusyuensis” Show_ryu / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Making plants larger with myosin: “CSIRO ScienceImage 3174 Arabidopsis in growth cabinet at the CSIRO Discovery Centre labs Black Mountain ACT” Carl Davies, CSIRO / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- The fastest myosin in the living world: “Chara braunii 1” Show_ryu / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- How 13 types of myosin are used selectively: “Arabidopsis thal on white” Reo On / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- How actin filaments align in the same direction: “Actin filaments of cardiac fibroblasts” Lorenzo2697 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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