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Article
Myosin-V, a Versatile Motor for Short-Range Vesicle Transport
Traffic (2002)
  • George M Langford, Syracuse University
Abstract

Myosin-V is a versatile motor involved in short-range transport of vesicles in the actin-rich cortex of the cell. It binds to several different kinds of vesicles, and the mechanism by which it interacts with the vesicle surface is being unraveled, primarily in melanocytes. Members of the Rab family of G-proteins are required for the recruitment of myosin-V to vesicles. Rab27a and its rabphilin-like effector protein, Melanophilin, recruit myosin-Va to melanosomes and appear to serve as the membrane receptor. Myosin-V is also involved in fast axonal/dendritic transport and, interestingly, it forms a complex with kinesin, a microtubule-based motor. This kinesin/myosin-V heteromotor complex allows long-range movement of vesicles within axons and dendrites on microtubules and short-range movement in the dendritic spines and axon terminals on actin filaments. The direct interaction of motors from both filament systems may represent the mechanism by which the transition of vesicles from microtubules to actin filaments is regulated.

Keywords
  • Actin filaments,
  • Fast axonal transport,
  • Kinesin,
  • Myosin-V,
  • Organelle transport,
  • Rab G-proteins,
  • Vesicle
Disciplines
Publication Date
November 1, 2002
Publisher Statement
Langford, George M. “Myosin-V, a Versatile Motor for Short-Range Vesicle Transport.” Traffic 3, no. 12 (December 1, 2002): 859–65. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0854.2002.31202.x.
Citation Information
George M Langford. "Myosin-V, a Versatile Motor for Short-Range Vesicle Transport" Traffic Vol. 3 Iss. 12 (2002)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/george_langford/48/