A FLIC motility assay reveals myosin-6 coordination limited by actin filament buckling

Teams of myosin motors carry out intracellular transport and contract the actin cytoskeleton. To fully understand the behavior of multi-myosin ensembles we need to know the properties of individual myosins and the mode of interaction between them. Current models of the interactions within the myosin complex treat the actin filament as a stiff rod, not contributing to the regulation of collective myosin dynamics. Here, we present data suggesting that force transduction through the actin filament is an important element of interaction within myosin-6 ensembles in vitro. Multiple myosin-6s coordinate their steps if they are separated by a short (and therefore high-force bearing) segment of acti