Kinesin is a motor protein that travels along microtubules in the cell. These motor proteins transport various different molecules and organelles to different locations in the cell. According to Schnitzer's paper, kinesin takes "steps" on a microtubule of approximately 8 nm. Each one of these steps, without an organelle or molecule anchored to kinesin, takes one ATP to give it enough energy to move. Kinesin hyrdolyzes the ATP so it reaches its activation energy and step forward. Mandekow speaks about how kinesin has been found to function in mitosis by moving the microtubules from the spindle into place. Kinesin also anchors to the chromosomes to pull them apart across the microtubules.
The main location in its structure that is important is its motor domain where the ATP is hydrolyzed. As stated before, this gives the kinesin the energy to take a "step" down a microtubule. Two motor domains are present on each kinesin. These domains are what look like the "feet" in this animation:
Kinesin is believed to possibly have some applications with Alzheimer's disease and a disease referred to as Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A. While the correlation is small in these diseases, these diseases work with a chain in kinesin that transport molecules through the cell.
Kinesin has also been found to not only move across microtubules, but to break them apart as well. The kinesin breaks the microtubules formed during mitosis. It attaches to the ends of microtubule and then begins to depolymerize the microtubule. (Kinesin Disassembly)
Kinesin hydrolyses one ATP per 8-nm step (Schnitzer)
Kinesin and Disease (Mandelkow)
Kinesin Disassembly
General Functions of Kinesin
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