• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Saturday, June 21, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

Deep-sea osmolyte makes biomolecular machines heat-tolerant

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
January 22, 2020
in Science News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
ADVERTISEMENT
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

IMAGE

Credit: Munmun, T. et. al., Chemical Communications, Dec. 26, 2019

Researchers have discovered a method to control biomolecular machines over a wide temperature range using deep-sea osmolyte trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). This finding could open a new dimension in the application of artificial machines fabricated from biomolecular motors and other proteins.

Biomolecular motors are the smallest natural machines that keep living organisms dynamic. They can generate force and perform work on their own by consuming chemical energy. In recent years, reconstructed biomolecular motors have appeared as promising substitutes of synthetic motors and expected to be key components in biomimetic artificial micro- or nano-devices. However, reconstructed biomolecular motors lose their ability to function due to thermal instability in artificial environments.

Tasrina Munmun, Arif Md. Rashedul Kabir, Kazuki Sada and Akira Kakugo of Hokkaido University and Yukiteru Katsumoto of Fukuoka University were inspired by seeing how proteins remain stable in living organisms such as sharks, teleosts, skates, and crabs that survive in harsh environments like deep sea hydrothermal vents or under thermal perturbations. Although proteins are generally denatured by heat, the proteins in deep-sea animals remain stable and active with heat thanks to TMAO.

“Based on this fascinating defense mechanism in deep-sea animals, we attempted to control the activity of kinesin, a biomolecular motor associated with microtubule proteins, over a wide temperature range,” said Arif Md. Rashedul Kabir. To investigate the activity of kinesins, the team conducted in vitro motility assays in which kinesin motors propelled the microtubules on a two-dimensional substrate.

According to the study published in Chemical Communications, they discovered that TMAO suppresses thermal denaturation of kinesins in a concentration dependent manner. Within a temperature range of 22-46 °C, kinesins propelled microtubules for a prolonged time (almost 2.5 times longer) when TMAO was present. This shows the team successfully controlled the dynamics between kinesins and microtubules over a broad temperature range. “This study is the first example showing successful utilization of a deep-sea osmolyte in maintaining biomolecular motors for a prolonged time over a wide temperature range in engineered environments,” Arif Md. Rashedul Kabir commented.

Arif Md. Rashedul Kabir continued, “The idea of utilizing natural defense mechanisms against heat-induced inactivation of proteins and enzymes will now be encouraged further.”

“Our work will open a new dimension in sustainable applications of reconstructed biomolecules which will benefit various fields including biomimetic engineering, biochemical and biomedical engineering as well as materials science,” Akira Kakugo added.

###

Media Contact
Naoki Namba
[email protected]
81-117-062-185

Original Source

https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/blog/deep-sea-osmolyte-makes-biomolecular-machines-heat-tolerant/

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C9CC09324A

Tags: BiochemistryBiomechanics/BiophysicsBiomedical/Environmental/Chemical EngineeringBiotechnologyChemistry/Physics/Materials SciencesNanotechnology/Micromachines
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

blank

Gasdermin E Drives Pyroptosis Resistance in Glioblastoma

June 21, 2025
blank

AI Diagnoses Vocal Cord Paralysis Severity

June 21, 2025

Humeral Rotation Impacts Rotator Cuff Mechanics

June 21, 2025

Racial Disparities Impact Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Outcomes

June 21, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Green brake lights in the front could reduce accidents

    Study from TU Graz Reveals Front Brake Lights Could Drastically Diminish Road Accident Rates

    161 shares
    Share 64 Tweet 40
  • New Study Uncovers Unexpected Side Effects of High-Dose Radiation Therapy

    76 shares
    Share 30 Tweet 19
  • Pancreatic Cancer Vaccines Eradicate Disease in Preclinical Studies

    71 shares
    Share 28 Tweet 18
  • How Scientists Unraveled the Mystery Behind the Gigantic Size of Extinct Ground Sloths—and What Led to Their Demise

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Gasdermin E Drives Pyroptosis Resistance in Glioblastoma

AI Diagnoses Vocal Cord Paralysis Severity

Humeral Rotation Impacts Rotator Cuff Mechanics

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.