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Motor proteins for cytoplasmic microtubules
1Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235.
Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|February 1, 1992
Summary
Cellular motor proteins kinesin and dynein are more complex than previously thought. New research reveals kinesin family diversity and potential bidirectional dynein, challenging the simple directional model of microtubule transport.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Motors
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics
Background:
- Microtubules serve as tracks for intracellular transport, traditionally mediated by kinesin and dynein.
- Kinesin was thought to move cargo towards microtubule plus ends, while dynein moved towards minus ends.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the complexity of microtubule motor proteins beyond the simplistic kinesin-dynein model.
- To explore emerging evidence for novel motor protein functions and families.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent experimental data and genetic studies.
- Analysis of protein families and their functional characterization.
Main Results:
- Kinesin is a protein family with members capable of minus-end directed movement.
- Evidence supports bidirectional dynein or distinct retrograde/anterograde dynein forms.
- A third motor protein, the GTPase dynamin, has been identified, adding complexity.
Conclusions:
- The established model of unidirectional microtubule-based transport by kinesin and dynein is an oversimplification.
- The diversity within motor protein families and the existence of new motors necessitate a revised understanding of intracellular transport.