Jk. Burkhardt, IN SEARCH OF MEMBRANE-RECEPTORS FOR MICROTUBULE-BASED MOTORS - IS KINECTIN A KINESIN RECEPTOR, Trends in cell biology, 6(4), 1996, pp. 127-131
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.