Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles01:43

The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles

6.7K
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,...
6.7K
Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins01:32

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

10.9K
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...
10.9K
Anaphase A and B01:39

Anaphase A and B

5.6K
Microtubules form through the end-to-end polymerization of tubulin heterodimers. Kinetochore microtubules originate from the spindle poles, and their plus-ends connect with the kinetochores on sister-chromatids. Ndc80 protein complexes, present on the kinetochore, form low-affinity links with the plus end of these kinetochore microtubules.
Plus-end depolymerization releases tubulin heterodimers from the terminal region of the microtubule. As tubulin subunits are lost, the Ndc80 complexes detach...
5.6K
Destabilization of Microtubules01:45

Destabilization of Microtubules

3.7K
The destabilization of microtubules can occur during different stages of the microtubule lifecycle, such as nucleation or elongation. It can take place at either end of the microtubule or in the microtubule lattices as a whole. The lifespan of individual microtubules within a cell varies according to the cell type and stage of the cell cycle. During interphase, the lifespan of the microtubule is about 30 minutes, while during cell division, it is about 15 minutes. In axonal microtubules of...
3.7K
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

4.8K
Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...
4.8K
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion01:05

Mechanism of Ciliary Motion

5.3K
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...
5.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Anisotropic unbinding and location-dependent hovering of a kinesin motor head over microtubule.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same author

Cancers modulate p53 truncal neoantigen display to evade T cell detection.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Atomistic TCR-ligand interactions instruct memory T-cell differentiation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

A parallel CUDA implementation of the Gauss-Legendre-spherical-t method for electrostatic interactions.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025
Same author

Gauss-Legendre-spherical-t (GLST) cubature-based factorization of long-range electrostatics in simulations.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025
Same author

Load-based divergence in the dynamic allostery of two TCRs recognizing the same pMHC.

eLife·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Motility of Single Molecules and Clusters of Bi-Directional Kinesin-5 Cin8 Purified from S. cerevisiae Cells
10:46

Motility of Single Molecules and Clusters of Bi-Directional Kinesin-5 Cin8 Purified from S. cerevisiae Cells

Published on: February 2, 2022

3.0K

Kinesin motility is driven by subdomain dynamics.

Wonmuk Hwang1,2,3, Matthew J Lang4,5, Martin Karplus6,7

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States.

Elife
|November 8, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Kinesin motor proteins use their ATPase heads for movement. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal how local dynamics, water molecules, and strained ATP drive kinesin

Keywords:
ATP hydrolysisbiophysicscomputational biologykinesin-microtubule systemmechanochemistrymolecular dynamics simulationmotility cyclemotor proteinnonestructural biologysystems biology

More Related Videos

Characterizing the Composition of Molecular Motors on Moving Axonal Cargo Using "Cargo Mapping" Analysis
11:09

Characterizing the Composition of Molecular Motors on Moving Axonal Cargo Using "Cargo Mapping" Analysis

Published on: October 30, 2014

10.0K
Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins
08:04

Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins

Published on: January 26, 2019

7.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Motility of Single Molecules and Clusters of Bi-Directional Kinesin-5 Cin8 Purified from S. cerevisiae Cells
10:46

Motility of Single Molecules and Clusters of Bi-Directional Kinesin-5 Cin8 Purified from S. cerevisiae Cells

Published on: February 2, 2022

3.0K
Characterizing the Composition of Molecular Motors on Moving Axonal Cargo Using "Cargo Mapping" Analysis
11:09

Characterizing the Composition of Molecular Motors on Moving Axonal Cargo Using "Cargo Mapping" Analysis

Published on: October 30, 2014

10.0K
Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins
08:04

Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins

Published on: January 26, 2019

7.3K

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Microtubule (MT)-associated motor protein kinesin is crucial for cellular transport.
  • Kinesin's motility relies on its ATPase head, but the atomic mechanism of its core functions remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the atomic mechanism of kinesin's ATPase activity and microtubule binding.
  • To understand how kinesin achieves diverse motility characteristics at a molecular level.

Main Methods:

  • All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of kinesin-MT complexes.
  • Simulations were conducted for 38.5 microseconds across different nucleotide states.

Main Results:

  • Local subdomain dynamics are essential for nucleotide processing.
  • Catalytic water molecules and strained ATP within the binding pocket are key.
  • Specific protein movements facilitate ATP hydrolysis and capture of new ATP.

Conclusions:

  • A dynamic and specific kinesin-MT interface enables efficient and selective interactions.
  • The proposed mechanism explains kinesin's flexibility for navigating the cellular environment.