Bacterial motors carefully studied (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, August 09, 2022, 22:47 (836 days ago) @ David Turell

Cell control by Kinesin-8 which motors molecules around the cell and controls it shape and
length of microtubules:

https://phys.org/news/2022-08-motor-proteins-cells.html

"With the help of the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, a research team led by John Allingham from Queen's University and Hernando Sosa from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine has shed light on a protein that regulates the intricate microscopic networks that give cells their shape and helps ship important molecules to diverse locations.

***

"n their published work, they are the first group to clearly describe the mechanism of action of a tiny motor protein called Kinesin-8 that enables it to control the structures of microtubule fiber networks inside the cell.

"Our recent paper in Nature Communications, co-first authored by Byron Hunter and Matthieu Benoit, shows how this specific type of kinesin motor protein has developed the ability to use microtubules as tracks for movement, guiding transport of cargo within the cell," said Dr. John Allingham, a professor at the Queen's School of Medicine, "in addition to being able to disassemble these tracks, controlling their length and location in cells."

"The Kinesin-8 proteins ensure that a cell's cargo is in the right place during cellular division and help to regulate cellular networks, making sure the microtubules do not grow too long."

Comment: this precision in delivery control of cellular protein products can only result from a carefully designed controlled process. Compare it to Amazon Prime receiving a Monday order and delivering it precisely on Tuesday.