title: Big steps toward understanding dynein.
abstract: Dynein is a microtubule-based molecular motor that is involved in various biological functions, such as axonal transport, mitosis, and cilia/flagella movement. Although dynein was discovered 50 years ago, the progress of dynein research has been slow due to its large size and flexible structure. Recent progress in understanding the force-generating mechanism of dynein using x-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and single molecule studies has provided key insight into the structure and mechanism of action of this complex motor protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. mkikkawa@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikkawa
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D054468:Axoneme / Q000737:chemistry*; D001665:Binding Sites; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000737:chemistry; D002923:Cilia / Q000737:chemistry*; D004398:Dyneins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D005407:Flagella / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004398:Dyneins