Kinesins and Myosins: Molecular Motors that Coordinate Cellular Functions in Plants

Andreas Nebenführ, Ram Dixit

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

77 Scopus citations

Abstract

Kinesins and myosins are motor proteins that can move actively along microtubules and actin filaments, respectively. Plants have evolved a unique set of motors that function as regulators and organizers of the cytoskeleton and as drivers of long-distance transport of various cellular components. Recent progress has established the full complement of motors encoded in plant genomes and has revealed valuable insights into the cellular functions of many kinesin and myosin isoforms. Interestingly, several of the motors were found to functionally connect the two cytoskeletal systems and thereby to coordinate their activities. In this review, we discuss the available genetic, cell biological, and biochemical data for each of the plant kinesin and myosin families from the context of their subcellular mechanism of action as well as their physiological function in the whole plant. We particularly emphasize work that illustrates mechanisms by which kinesins and myosins coordinate the activities of the cytoskeletal system.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)329-361
Number of pages33
JournalAnnual Review of Plant Biology
Volume69
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 29 2018

Keywords

  • Actin filaments
  • Cell division
  • Cell growth
  • Cytoplasmic streaming
  • Cytoskeleton
  • Microtubules

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