Kinesin superfamily motor protein KIF17 and mLin-10 in NMDA receptor - Containing vesicle transport

Experiments with vesicles containing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor 2 B (NR2B subunit) show that they are transported along microtubules by KIF17 , a neuron-specific molecular motor in neuronal dendrites. Selective transp ort is accomplished by direct interaction of the KIF17 tail with a PDZ doma in of mLin-10 (Mintl1/X11), which is a constituent of a large protein compl ex including mLin-2 (CASK), mLin-7 (MALS/VeLis), and the NR2B subunit. This interaction, specific for a neurotransmitter receptor critically important for plasticity in the postsynaptic terminal, may be a regulatory point for synaptic plasticity and neuronal morphogenesis.