Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Production of Dynein and Kinesin Motor Ensembles on DNA Origami Nanostructures for Single Molecule Observation
Published on: October 15, 2019
Myosins: matching functions with motors
1Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Abstract:
It is an exciting time to be studying myosins and their roles in the function of cells and organisms. Past efforts aimed at finding new members of this family have now given way to a focus on identifying individual functions for each motor protein. These actin-based motors are now known to be intimately involved in the following processes: neurosensory function; vesicle trafficking; determinant partitioning; and cortical function. The following article reviews the inroads made into the functions of myosins in these processes over the past several years.
Related Concept Videos
Motor Units
Overview of Myosin Structure and Function
Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction
Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration
Myosin II is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction. It is...
Motor Units
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...

