Kinesin

Kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) are motor proteins that convert chemical energy, typically in the form of ATP, into mechanical force. They act upon microtubules to move vesicles and organelles within cells, cause the beating of flagella and cilia, and act within the mitotic and meiotic spindles to segregate replicated chromosomes to progeny cells.

Generally, kinesins mediate plus-end transport. Kinesins exist as dimers, with a catalytic 'head' domain and a 'stalk/tail' domain that is important in interactions with the cargo molecules. The 'neck' attaches the stalk to the head and is essential in determining direction of motility and regulation of activity. The head and neck (known collectively as the motor domain) are conserved across the family, whilst the stalk is highly divergent, reflecting the wide range of cellular functions of kinesins.

Some specific kinesins have been implicated in human diseases, including Alzheimer's (KIF5), polycystic kidney disease (KIF3A / KIF3B) and diabetes (KIF5B).

External sources of pharmacological information for Kinesin :

• BJP Guide

Literature for Kinesin

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Kinesin Gene Data