Mc. Tuma et al., Heterotrimeric kinesin II is the microtubule motor protein responsible forpigment dispersion in Xenopus melanophores, J CELL BIOL, 143(6), 1998, pp. 1547-1558
Melanophores move pigment organelles (melanosomes) from the cell center to
the periphery and vice-versa. These bidirectional movements require cytopla
smic microtubules and microfilaments and depend on the function of microtub
ule motors and a myosin. Earlier we found that melanosomes purified from Xe
nopus melanophores contain the plus end microtubule motor kinesin II, indic
ating that it may be involved in dispersion (Rogers, S.L., I.S. Tint, P.C.
Fanapour, and V.I. Gelfand. 1997. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci, USA. 94: 3720-3725
). Here, we generated a dominant-negative construct encoding green fluoresc
ent protein fused to the stalk-tail region of Xenopus kinesin-like protein
3 (Xklp3), the 95-kD motor subunit of Xenopus kinesin II, and introduced it
into melanophores. Overexpression of the fusion protein inhibited pigment
dispersion but had no effect on aggregation. To control for the specificity
of this effect, we studied the kinesin-dependent movement of lysosomes. Ne
ither dispersion of lysosomes in acidic conditions nor their clustering und
er alkaline conditions was affected by the mutant Xklp3. Furthermore, micro
injection of melanophores with SUK4, a function-blocking kinesin antibody,
inhibited dispersion of lysosomes but had no effect on melanosome transport
. We conclude that melanosome dispersion is powered by kinesin II and not b
y conventional kinesin. This paper demonstrates that kinesin II moves membr
ane-bound organelles.