cytoskeletal motor activity

Definition

Target type: molecularfunction

Generation of force resulting in movement, for example along a microfilament or microtubule, or in torque resulting in membrane scission or rotation of a flagellum. The energy required is obtained either from the hydrolysis of a nucleoside triphosphate or by an electrochemical proton gradient (proton-motive force). [GOC:mah, GOC:vw, PMID:11242086, PMID:29716949]

Cytoskeletal motor activity refers to the movement of cellular components along cytoskeletal filaments, which are protein polymers that provide structural support and organization to cells. This movement is driven by motor proteins that bind to and move along these filaments, utilizing energy derived from ATP hydrolysis. Cytoskeletal motor proteins are essential for a wide range of cellular processes, including:

- **Cell motility:** Motors drive the movement of cells, such as in migrating cells during development and immune responses.
- **Intracellular transport:** Motors move organelles, vesicles, and other cargo within cells, ensuring efficient distribution of materials.
- **Muscle contraction:** Motors are the key players in muscle contraction, enabling movement and force generation.
- **Chromosomal segregation:** During cell division, motors play a crucial role in separating chromosomes to ensure proper distribution of genetic material.

There are two main types of cytoskeletal motors:

- **Microtubule motors:** These motors bind to and move along microtubules, which are long, hollow cylinders composed of tubulin proteins. The two major families of microtubule motors are kinesins and dyneins. Kinesins generally move towards the plus end of microtubules, while dyneins move towards the minus end.
- **Actin motors:** These motors bind to and move along actin filaments, which are thin, helical polymers composed of actin proteins. The most prominent family of actin motors is myosin, which plays a critical role in muscle contraction and other cellular processes.

The molecular mechanism of motor activity involves a cycle of binding, movement, and detachment. Motor proteins typically have a head domain that binds to the cytoskeletal filament and a tail domain that interacts with cargo. The head domain undergoes conformational changes driven by ATP hydrolysis, allowing the motor to move along the filament in a stepwise manner. These coordinated movements generate force and drive the transport of cargo within the cell.
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Proteins (3)

Compounds (10)