Myosin-V motility: these levers were made for walking
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2026

Myosin-Specific Adaptations of In vitro Fluorescence Microscopy-Based Motility Assays
Published on: February 4, 2021
Matthew J Tyska1, Mark S Mooseker
1Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, 342 Kline Biology Tower, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. matthew.tyska@yale.edu
Abstract:
Myosin-Va, a processive actin-based motor thought to be involved in organelle transport, now stands ready to join myosin-II (from muscle) as one of the most highly characterized members of the myosin superfamily. Recent reports from the laboratories of Goldman and colleagues and Selvin and colleagues have provided unprecedented, high-resolution views of the structural changes that take place while this motor moves along its track. Taken together, the new results indicate that myosin-Va tilts its light chain binding domains to 'walk' along actin in a hand-over-hand fashion.
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