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Movement of microtubules by single kinesin molecules

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Abstract

Kinesin is a motor protein that uses energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to move organelles along microtubules. Using a new technique for measuring the movement produced in vitro by individual kinesin molecules, it is shown that a single kinesin molecule can move a microtubule for several micrometres. New information about the mechanism of force generation by kinesin is presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco

    J. Howard

  2. Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA

    J. Howard

  3. Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, Texas, 75235, USA

    A. J. Hudspeth

  4. Department of Pharmacology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA

    R. D. Vale

Authors
  1. J. Howard
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  2. A. J. Hudspeth
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  3. R. D. Vale
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Howard, J., Hudspeth, A. & Vale, R. Movement of microtubules by single kinesin molecules. Nature 342, 154–158 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/342154a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/342154a0

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