title: Mechanism and regulation of kinesin-5, an essential motor for the mitotic spindle.
abstract: Mitotic cell division is the most fundamental task of all living cells. Cells have intricate and tightly regulated machinery to ensure that mitosis occurs with appropriate frequency and high fidelity. A core element of this machinery is the kinesin-5 motor protein, which plays essential roles in spindle formation and maintenance. In this review, we discuss how the structural and mechanical properties of kinesin-5 motors uniquely suit them to their mitotic role. We describe some of the small molecule inhibitors and regulatory proteins that act on kinesin-5, and discuss how these regulators may influence the process of cell division. Finally, we touch on some more recently described functions of kinesin-5 motors in non-dividing cells. Throughout, we highlight a number of open questions that impede our understanding of both this motor's function and the potential utility of kinesin-5 inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Joshua S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Waitzman
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rice
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D016547:Kinesins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008938:Mitosis; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016547:Kinesins
keywords: Kinesin; Microtubule; Mitosis; Phosphorylation; tpx2