A KINESIN MEDLEY - BIOCHEMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL-HETEROGENEITY

Over the past decade, a remarkable number and diversity of molecular m otors have been described in eukaryotic cells. In addition to the iden tification of novel forms of myosin and dynein, the kinesins have been defined as an entirely new family of molecular motors. There may be a s many ns 30 different genes in a single organism encoding members of the kinesin superfamily. Why is such diversity in molecular motors nee ded? The biochemical ann functional diversity of the originally define d form of kinesin provides some insights into the roles of molecular m otors in cellular dynamics.