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Motor protein regulation is the process by which molecular motors moving along cytoskeletal filaments are regulated, enabling them to perform multiple functions in the cell. The mechanisms governing this regulation are preserved across structurally diverse protein families.
Lis1 and Nde1/Ndel1 mediate the initiation of dynein-driven transport, but the mechanism remains unclear. Here, the authors reveal that Nde1 recruits Lis1 to autoinhibited dynein and promotes Lis1-mediated assembly of active dynein transport machinery.
In 1952, Turing unlocked the reaction-diffusion basis of natural patterns, such as zebra stripes. The authors propose a reaction-diffusion model that recreates characteristics of the flagellar waveform for bull sperm and Chlamydomonas flagella.
The mechanism by which dynein-mediated cargo transport is switched on is unresolved. This study reveals insights into the roles of the human disease genes Ndel1 and LIS1 in the assembly and activation of dynein transport complexes.
Allostery produces concerted functions of protein complexes by orchestrating the cooperative work between the constituent subunits. By restoring functions of pseudo-active sites that have been lost through evolution, allosteric sites have now been designed into a rotary molecular motor, V1-ATPase, resulting in its rotation being boosted allosterically.
The authors report the high-resolution structure of human β-cardiac myosin in its sequestered state. The results provide insights into the cardiac regulation and represent a tool to investigate the development of inherited cardiomyopathies.
The mechanisms of microtubule-based mitochondrial transport remain poorly understood. Here, the authors show that the mitochondrial TRAK adaptors activate the dynein-dynactin complex, enhance the motility of kinesin, and can scaffold both motors to control bidirectional transport.
Cells in embryonic tissues generate coordinated forces to close small wounds rapidly without scarring. New research shows that large cell-to-cell variations in these forces are a key system feature that surprisingly speeds up wound healing.
A curious peak in the distribution describing stochastic switching in bacterial motility had researchers confounded. But a careful study performed under varying mechanical conditions has now revealed that the breaking of detailed balance is to blame.
Physics provides new approaches to difficult biological problems: a plausible mathematical model of how cilia and flagella beat has been formulated, but it needs to be subjected to rigorous experimental tests.
