title: Understanding the functions of kinesin-II.
abstract: Species ranging from Chlamydomonas to humans possess the heterotrimeric kinesin-II holoenzyme composed of two different motor subunits and one non-motor accessory subunit. An important function of kinesin-II is that it transports the components needed for the construction and maintenance of cilia and flagella from the site of synthesis in the cell body to the site of growth at the distal tip. Recent work suggests that kinesin-II does not directly interact with these components, but rather via a large protein complex, which has been termed a raft (intraflagellar transport (IFT)). While ciliary transport is the best-established function for kinesin-II, evidence has been reported for possible roles in neuronal transport, melanosome transport, the secretory pathway and during mitosis.
authors.affiliation: Program in Biomedical Sciences, Division of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Rm. 334, Department of Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCSD School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0683, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Marszalek
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D001692:Biological Transport; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002923:Cilia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D005407:Flagella / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D016547:Kinesins; D020460:Melanosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008938:Mitosis; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C074152:kinesin-II; D016547:Kinesins