title: Myosin VI is a processive motor with a large step size.
abstract: Myosin VI is a molecular motor involved in intracellular vesicle and organelle transport. To carry out its cellular functions myosin VI moves toward the pointed end of actin, backward in relation to all other characterized myosins. Myosin V, a motor that moves toward the barbed end of actin, is processive, undergoing multiple catalytic cycles and mechanical advances before it releases from actin. Here we show that myosin VI is also processive by using single molecule motility and optical trapping experiments. Remarkably, myosin VI takes much larger steps than expected, based on a simple lever-arm mechanism, for a myosin with only one light chain in the lever-arm domain. Unlike other characterized myosins, myosin VI stepping is highly irregular with a broad distribution of step sizes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Rock
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Purcell
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Spudich
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Sweeney
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002645:Chickens; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C089785:myosin VI; C020324:fascin; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains