Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026
09:49
Isolation and Purification of Kinesin from Drosophila Embryos
Published on: April 27, 2012
12.6K
Parts list for a microtubule depolymerising kinesin
Claire T Friel1, Julie P Welburn2
1School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, QMC, Nottingham NG7 2UH, U.K. claire.friel@nottingham.ac.uk julie.welburn@ed.ac.uk.
Biochemical Society Transactions
|November 24, 2018
Summary
Kinesin-13 proteins are specialized molecular motors that depolymerize microtubules. This abstract details their structure and function in cellular processes like chromosome segregation and neuronal development.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Kinesin superfamily are ATP-dependent molecular motors interacting with microtubules.
- Kinesin-13 family are specialized motors that depolymerize microtubules.
- Microtubule dynamics are crucial for cellular functions including chromosome segregation, cilia maintenance, and neuronal development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the current understanding of Kinesin-13 family structure.
- To elucidate the role of different protein domains in microtubule depolymerization.
- To understand the broader functions of Kinesin-13 in cellular processes.
Main Methods:
- Structural analysis of Kinesin-13 proteins.
- Biochemical assays to study microtubule depolymerization activity.
- Functional studies in cellular contexts.
Main Results:
- Detailed structural insights into the Kinesin-13 family.
- Identification of key domains responsible for microtubule destabilization.
- Correlation between structural features and depolymerization activity.
Conclusions:
- Kinesin-13 structure dictates its microtubule depolymerization function.
- Understanding Kinesin-13 structure-function relationships is key to their roles in cell division, cilia, and neurons.
- Further research into Kinesin-13 mechanisms can reveal new therapeutic targets.
Related Concept Videos
01:35Microtubules
99.1K
There are three types of cytoskeletal structures in eukaryotic cells—microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. With a diameter of about 25 nm, microtubules are the thickest of these fibers. Microtubules carry out a variety of functions that include cell structure and support, transport of organelles, cell motility (movement), and the separation of chromosomes during cell division.
99.1K
01:18Microtubules
10.7K
Microtubules are the thickest cytoskeletal filaments with a diameter of 25 nm. In prokaryotic organisms, microtubules are commonly found in locomotory appendages like cilia and flagella. In eukaryotic cells, microtubules form specialized extensions for moving fluid over the surface, like those found in cells lining the intestine.
Microtubules have two structurally similar globular protein subunits: α and β tubulins. In the cytosol, the α and β tubulins form a heterodimer....
Microtubules have two structurally similar globular protein subunits: α and β tubulins. In the cytosol, the α and β tubulins form a heterodimer....
10.7K
02:17Microtubule Instability
6.2K
Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated...
6.2K
01:23Microtubule Formation
7.7K
Microtubules are dynamic structures that undergo continuous assembly and disassembly. They originate from specialized multi-protein complexes known as microtubule organizing centers or MTOCs. Within the MTOC, the point of origin of the microtubule is known as the minus end, while the end radiating outward is the plus end. Microtubules serve two primary functions — the organization of spindle complexes to separate sister chromatids during mitotic or meiotic cell division and the formation...
7.7K
01:45Destabilization of Microtubules
3.6K
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...
3.6K
01:22Microtubules in Signaling
2.2K
The primary cilium, made up of microtubules, acts as antennae on the cell surfaces for relaying external stimuli into the cells. These fine hair-like structures are present, generally one per cell. These are non-motile cilia in a 9+0 microtubules arrangement, where the central pair of microtubules are absent. The primary cilia arise from the basal body embedded in the cell membrane. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) carries requisite proteins from the cytoplasm to the cilium because the primary...
2.2K