[Immunochemical identification of kinesin in Physarum polycephalum]

Physarum polycephalum, a low eukaryote ameba provides an attractive system for studying contractile proteins. In this work, we have identified a kinesin-like protein in the plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum by western blotting, using monoclonal antibody against kinesin (bovine brain). The molecular weight of the polypeptide which immunologically cross-reacts with kinesin from bovine brain is about 137kd. It suggests that the 137kd polypeptide is the heavy chain of the kinesin in Physarum polycephalum.