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Science 14 August 2009:
Vol. 325. no. 5942, pp. 826 - 827
DOI: 10.1126/science.1178017
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Perspectives

Biochemistry:

Friction in Motor Proteins

Claudia Veigel1 and Christoph F. Schmidt2

What do a violin bow and a motor protein have in common? They both need stick-slip friction to function. On page 870 of this issue, Bormuth et al. (1) explore just how much friction is involved in the motion of a kinesin motor when it moves along its microtubule track, and how this friction is related to the spontaneous diffusive motion of this motor when it has run out of its fuel.

1 Physical Biochemistry, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK.
2 Georg-August-Universität, Fakultät für Physik, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.

E-mail: cfs{at}physik3.gwdg.de

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)