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ReportsLocal Nanomechanical Motion of the Cell Wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
We demonstrate that the cell wall of living Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) exhibits local temperature-dependent nanomechanical motion at characteristic frequencies. The periodic motions in the range of 0.8 to 1.6 kHz with amplitudes of
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
3 nm were measured using the cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM). Exposure of the cells to a metabolic inhibitor causes the periodic motion to cease. From the strong frequency dependence on temperature, we derive an activation energy of 58 kJ/mol, which is consistent with the cell's metabolism involving molecular motors such as kinesin, dynein, and myosin. The magnitude of the forces observed ( 10 nN) suggests concerted nanomechanical activity is operative in the cell.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: gim{at}chem.ucla.edu.
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)