title: Functions of unconventional myosins.
abstract: To date, fourteen classes of unconventional myosins have been identified. Recent reports have implicated a number of these myosins in organelle transport, and in the formation, maintenance and/or dynamics of actin-rich structures involved in a variety of cellular processes including endocytosis, cell migration, and sensory transduction. Characterizations of organelle dynamics in pigment cells and neurons have further defined the contributions made by unconventional myosins and microtubule motors to the transport and distribution of organelles. Several studies have provided evidence of complexes through which cooperative organelle transport may be coordinated. Finally, the myosin superfamily has been shown to contain at least one processive motor and one backwards motor.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cell Biology, Section on Molecular Cell Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892-0301, USA.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hammer
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D004398:Dyneins / Q000378:metabolism; D004705:Endocytosis; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009218:Myosins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015388:Organelles / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C076744:cytoplasmic linker protein 170; D009218:Myosins; D004398:Dyneins