Identification of a novel force-generating protein, kinesin, involved in microtubule-based motility.
Axoplasm from the squid giant axon contains a soluble protein translocator that induces movement of microtubules on glass, latex beads on microtubules, and axoplasmic organelles on microtubules. We now report the partial purification of a protein from squid giant axons and optic lobes that induces these microtubule-based movements and show that there is a homologous protein in bovine brain. The purification of the translocator protein depended primarily on its unusual property of forming a high affinity complex with microtubules in the presence of a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog, adenylyl imidodiphosphate. The protein, once released from microtubules with ATP, migrates on gel filtration columns with an apparent molecular weight of 600 kilodaltons and contains 110-120 and 60-70 kilodalton polypeptides. This protein is distinct in molecular weight and enzymatic behavior from myosin or dynein, which suggests that it belongs to a novel class of force-generating molecules, for which we propose the name kinesin.
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000266:Adenylyl Imidodiphosphate; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000032:analysis; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002417:Cattle; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D049832:Decapodiformes; D016547:Kinesins; D008863:Microspheres; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009068:Movement; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009899:Optic Lobe, Nonmammalian / Q000032:analysis; D009940:Organoids / Q000502:physiology
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000266:Adenylyl Imidodiphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D016547:Kinesins