THE DESIGN PLAN OF KINESIN MOTORS

The kinesin superfamily comprises a large and structurally diverse gro up of microtubule-based motor proteins that produce a variety of force -generating activities within cells. This review addresses how the str uctures of kinesin proteins provide clues as to their biological funct ions and motile properties. We discuss structural features common to a ll kinesin motors, as well as specialized features that enable subfami lies of related motors to carry out specialized activities. We also di scuss how the kinesin motor domain uses chemical energy from ATP hydro lysis to move along microtubules.