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The Molecular Mechanism Of The Organelle Transports In Neurons; Kinesin Superfamily Proteins (Kifs), Structure, Gene, And Function
Author(s) -
Hirokawa N.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of the peripheral nervous system
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1529-8027
pISSN - 1085-9489
DOI - 10.1046/j.1529-8027.2000.abstracts-8.x
Subject(s) - kinesin , organelle , microbiology and biotechnology , axoplasmic transport , motor protein , molecular motor , biology , microtubule , neurite , synaptic vesicle , chemistry , vesicle , biochemistry , membrane , in vitro
Many proteins are transported to their proper destination as membranous organelles or protein complexes after synthesis. Especially in highly polarized cells such as epithelial cells and neurons this transport is very important for the proper targeting of proteins to distinct parts of cells. Actually we visualized dynamics of membrane organelles carrying certain kinds of proteins in living cells using GFP technology. In order to understand the mechanism of this transport we identified 26 new members of microtubule based molecular motors, KIFs. Using multiple molecular cell biological and molecular genetical approaches we have characterized these new members. In this lecture I will focus on some of KIF members such as KIF1A, 1B, 3, C2 and 17. KIF1A is the fastest (1.5 μm/sec) anterograde monomeric motor for transport of precursor of synaptic vesicles and essential for neuronal function and survival while KIF1B is a unique monomeric anterograde motor (0.5 μm/sec) for transport of mitochondria. KIF3A and KIF3B, expressed ubiquitously, form a heterodimer associated with a protein, KAP3, and work as a new anterograde transporter for membranous organelles which are different from synaptic vesicle precursors and essential for neurite extension. KIFC2 is a neuron specific C‐terminal motor domain type KIF transporting multivesicular body‐like organelles to dendrites. Very recently we have identified new KIF17 which is expressed specifically in neurons and transport NMDA receptors in nerve dendrites. Thus, our studies revealed that transport of important functional molecules as various kinds of membrane organelles and protein complexes is accomplished very precisely by these new molecular motors.