THE ROLE OF DYNEIN IN MICROTUBULE-BASED MOTILITY

Dyneins are high molecular weight ATPases that function as microtubule -based molecular motors. The axonemal dyneins, discovered 30 years ago , are responsible for the beating movement of cilia and sperm flagella , which they generate by producing sliding between adjacent microtubul es. Cytoplasmic dynein, more recently discovered, is involved in diver se activities, including intracellular transport, nuclear migration, a nd the orientation of the cell spindle at mitosis.