Eukaryotic cells use motor proteins that move along cytoskeletal polymers to transport various intracellular cargos, including membranous organelles, protein complexes and mRNAs. Transport along microtubule filaments is mediated by kinesins (mostly moving towards the fast polymerizing microtubule plus ends) and dyneins (which move towards the microtubule minus ends), whereas myosins transport cargos along actin filaments. Molecular motors convert the chemical energy derived from ATP hydrolysis into mechanical action, and precise spatial and temporal regulation of motor-based transport is essential to ensure efficient cargo delivery. It is therefore not surprising that defects in motor-dependent transport are associated with a large range of diseases, including neurodegeneration, tumorigenesis and developmental defects.

From October 2009, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology will be publishing a Series of specially commissioned articles on cytoskeletal motors. These articles will highlight the progress made in understanding the mechanics and functions of different types of cytoskeletal motors, discuss their important roles in cell division, cell motility, intracellular trafficking and other cellular processes, and report new approaches to study these molecules.