IN SEARCH OF MEMBRANE-RECEPTORS FOR MICROTUBULE-BASED MOTORS - IS KINECTIN A KINESIN RECEPTOR

The past few years have seen an explosion in the number of molecular m otors reported in the literature. By using the energy of hydrolysis, t hese motors move various organelles along cytoskeletal 'tracks' within the cell. It is thought that some of the specificity of movement resi des in the receptors on the surface of the cargo organelles, but, in g eneral, little is known about these molecules. In this article, Janis Burkhardt discusses the evidence that the protein kinectin serves as a membrane receptor for kinesin, and describes how motor-receptor prote ins may interact with other components of the motility machinery to ge nerate regulated movement of membrane organelles.