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Molecular motors--a paradigm for mutant analysis.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Endow, SA
Published in: J Cell Sci
April 2000

Molecular motors perform essential functions in the cell and have the potential to provide insights into the basis of many important processes. A unique property of molecular motors is their ability to convert energy from ATP hydrolysis into work, enabling the motors to bind to and move along cytoskeletal filaments. The mechanism of energy conversion by molecular motors is not yet understood and may lead to the discovery of new biophysical principles. Mutant analysis could provide valuable information, but it is not obvious how to obtain mutants that are informative for study. The analysis presented here points out several strategies for obtaining mutants by selection from molecular or genetic screens, or by rational design. Mutants that are expected to provide important information about the motor mechanism include ATPase mutants, which interfere with the nucleotide hydrolysis cycle, and uncoupling mutants, which unlink basic motor activities and reveal their interdependence. Natural variants can also be exploited to provide unexpected information about motor function. This general approach to uncovering protein function by analysis of informative mutants is applicable not only to molecular motors, but to other proteins of interest.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Cell Sci

DOI

ISSN

0021-9533

Publication Date

April 2000

Volume

113 ( Pt 8)

Start / End Page

1311 / 1318

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Mutation
  • Molecular Motor Proteins
  • Humans
  • Developmental Biology
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Animals
  • 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
 

Citation

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Endow, S. A. (2000). Molecular motors--a paradigm for mutant analysis. J Cell Sci, 113 ( Pt 8), 1311–1318. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.113.8.1311
Endow, S. A. “Molecular motors--a paradigm for mutant analysis.J Cell Sci 113 ( Pt 8) (April 2000): 1311–18. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.113.8.1311.
Endow SA. Molecular motors--a paradigm for mutant analysis. J Cell Sci. 2000 Apr;113 ( Pt 8):1311–8.
Endow, S. A. “Molecular motors--a paradigm for mutant analysis.J Cell Sci, vol. 113 ( Pt 8), Apr. 2000, pp. 1311–18. Pubmed, doi:10.1242/jcs.113.8.1311.
Endow SA. Molecular motors--a paradigm for mutant analysis. J Cell Sci. 2000 Apr;113 ( Pt 8):1311–1318.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Cell Sci

DOI

ISSN

0021-9533

Publication Date

April 2000

Volume

113 ( Pt 8)

Start / End Page

1311 / 1318

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Mutation
  • Molecular Motor Proteins
  • Humans
  • Developmental Biology
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Animals
  • 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences