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Related Concept Videos

The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles01:43

The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles

In eukaryotic cells,  cytoskeletal filaments such as actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments form a mesh-like cytoskeletal network. These filaments serve as tracks for transporting cellular cargo. Specialized motor proteins use the chemical energy stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for this transport. During interphase, microtubules are polarized, with the plus-end towards the cell periphery and the minus-end towards the cell center. Two microtubule-associated motor proteins,...
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion01:05

Mechanism of Ciliary Motion

The ciliary structures were first seen in 1647 by Antonie Leeuwenhoek while observing the protozoans. In lower organisms, these appendages are responsible for cell movement, while in higher organisms, these appendages help in the movement of the extracellular fluids within the body cavities.
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion01:05

Mechanism of Ciliary Motion

The ciliary structures were first seen in 1647 by Antonie Leeuwenhoek while observing the protozoans. In lower organisms, these appendages are responsible for cell movement, while in higher organisms, these appendages help in the movement of the extracellular fluids within the body cavities.
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
Actin Treadmilling01:18

Actin Treadmilling

Actin filaments undergo polymerization and depolymerization from either end. The polymerization and depolymerization rates depend on the cytosolic concentration of free G-actins. The polymerization rate is generally higher at the plus or barbed end, while the depolymerization rate is higher at the minus or pointed end. At a steady state, critical concentration describes the concentration of free G-actin monomers at which the polymerization rate at the plus end is equal to that of the...
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker proteins that...
Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins01:32

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular cargos...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Dissecting Mechanoenzymatic Properties of Processive Myosins with Ultrafast Force-Clamp Spectroscopy
09:38

Dissecting Mechanoenzymatic Properties of Processive Myosins with Ultrafast Force-Clamp Spectroscopy

Published on: July 1, 2021

Dynein achieves processive motion using both stochastic and coordinated stepping.

Weihong Qiu1, Nathan D Derr, Brian S Goodman

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
|January 11, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cytoplasmic dynein, a motor protein, moves along microtubules using a unique, tension-based mechanism. Its stepping pattern is variable and distinct from other motors, allowing for diverse cellular functions.

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Production of Dynein and Kinesin Motor Ensembles on DNA Origami Nanostructures for Single Molecule Observation
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Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects
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Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Dissecting Mechanoenzymatic Properties of Processive Myosins with Ultrafast Force-Clamp Spectroscopy
09:38

Dissecting Mechanoenzymatic Properties of Processive Myosins with Ultrafast Force-Clamp Spectroscopy

Published on: July 1, 2021

Production of Dynein and Kinesin Motor Ensembles on DNA Origami Nanostructures for Single Molecule Observation
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Production of Dynein and Kinesin Motor Ensembles on DNA Origami Nanostructures for Single Molecule Observation

Published on: October 15, 2019

Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects
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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Motors

Background:

  • Processivity is essential for molecular motors that transport cargo within cells.
  • Cytoplasmic dynein is a homodimeric, microtubule-based motor protein crucial for various cellular functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism by which Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytoplasmic dynein achieves processive motion.
  • To characterize the stepping patterns and coordination of dynein's two motor domains.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a method to assemble dynein heterodimers using DNA-linked, fluorophore-labeled monomers.
  • Employed two-color, single-molecule microscopy with high-precision 2D tracking.

Main Results:

  • Dynein exhibits a highly variable stepping pattern, differing from the 'hand-over-hand' mechanism of other motors.
  • Stepping is stochastic when motor domains are close, becoming coordinated as distance increases.
  • A tension-based mechanism appears to govern dynein's steps.

Conclusions:

  • Cytoplasmic dynein utilizes a unique, tension-dependent mechanism for processive movement.
  • This adaptable mechanism may enable dynein's diverse roles in cellular transport and function.