N-terminal kinesins: many and various.

ABSTRACT

Molecular motors are a fascinating group of proteins that have vital roles in a huge variety of cellular processes. They all share the ability to produce force through the hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate, and fall into classes groups the kinesins, myosins and the dyneins. The kinesin superfamily itself can be split into three major groups depending on the position of the motor domain, which is localized N-terminally, C-terminally, or internally. This review focuses on the N-terminal kinesins, providing a brief overview of their roles within the cell, and illustrating recent key developments in our understanding of how these proteins function.