title: Myosin VI: cellular functions and motor properties.
abstract: Myosin VI has been localized in membrane ruffles at the leading edge of cells, at the trans-Golgi network compartment of the Golgi complex and in clathrin-coated pits or vesicles, indicating that it functions in a wide variety of intracellular processes. Myosin VI moves along actin filaments towards their minus end, which is the opposite direction to all of the other myosins so far studied (to our knowledge), and is therefore thought to have unique properties and functions. To investigate the cellular roles of myosin VI, we identified various myosin VI binding partners and are currently characterizing their interactions within the cell. As an alternative approach, we have expressed and purified full-length myosin VI and studied its in vitro properties. Previous studies assumed that myosin VI was a dimer, but our biochemical, biophysical and electron microscopic studies reveal that myosin VI can exist as a stable monomer. We observed, using an optical tweezers force transducer, that monomeric myosin VI is a non-processive motor which, despite a relatively short lever arm, generates a large working stroke of 18 nm. Whether monomer and/or dimer forms of myosin VI exist in cells and their possible functions will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QH, UK.
authors.forename: Rhys
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lister
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Veigel
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trinick
authors.forename: Folma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buss
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kendrick-Jones
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D002147:Calmodulin; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; C089785:myosin VI; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains; D002118:Calcium