Intracellular distribution of kinesin in chromaffin cells

In this paper we examined the association of the microtubule motor protein kinesin with organelles in chromaffin cells. Approximately 15% of kinesin was associated with membranes as determined by differential and equilibrium centrifugation on sucrose gradients. Kinesin was not enriched in a particular organelle fraction but cofractionated with a variety of organelle markers including markers for early and late endosomes, smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi apparatus. Surprisingly, low amounts of kinesin were present in fractions of purified chromaffin granules. The absence of kinesin from the bulk of chromaffin granules was also indicated by immunostaining of tissue sections. A polyclonal antibody that specifically recognized the 120 kDa kinesin heavy chain labeled predominantly a perinuclear region that is typical for most of the kinesin-binding organelles identified by cell fractionation (endosomes, Golgi, ER). Since these organelles are compartments with high membrane turnover, we speculate that kinesin might be involved in certain aspects of trafficking of these membrane systems.