Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Kinesin-8s: motoring and depolymerizing

Nature Cell Biology volume 8, pages 903–905 (2006)Cite this article

Kinesins conventionally act as molecular motor proteins that translocate along microtubules. However, several kinesins also control microtubule polymerization dynamics. New work shows that the yeast kinesin-8 Kip3p has a unique combination of plus-end motor and plus-end depolymerase activities. These activities facilitate the positioning of the mitotic spindle at the cell cortex.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Kip3p is a microtubule length-dependent plus-end depolymerase.
Figure 2: (a) Kip3p (green) walks along the microtubules (red) towards the plus end of the bud tip.

References

  1. Lawrence, C. J. et al. J. Cell Biol. 167, 19–22 (2004).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Gupta, M. L. Jnr., Carvalho, P., Roof, D. M. & Pellman, D. Nature Cell Biol. 8, 913–923 (2006).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Varga, V. et al. Nature Cell Biol. 8, 957–961 (2006).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Gandhi, R. et al. Mol. Biol. Cell 15, 121–131 (2004).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Gatt, M. K. et al. J. Cell Sci. 118, 2671–2682 (2005).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Goshima, G. & Vale, R. D. J. Cell Biol. 162, 1003–1016 (2003).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Savoian, M. S., Gatt, M. K., Riparbelli, M. G., Callaini, G. & Glover, D. M. J. Cell Sci. 117, 3669–3677 (2004).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Cottingham, F. R. & Hoyt, M. A. J. Cell Biol. 138, 1041–1053 (1997).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. DeZwaan, T. M., Ellingson, E., Pellman, D. & Roof, D. M. J. Cell Biol. 138, 1023–1040 (1997).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Tytell, J. D. & Sorger, P. K. J. Cell Biol. 172, 861–874 (2006).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Garcia, M. A., Koonrugsa, N. & Toda, T. Curr. Biol. 12, 610–621 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. West, R. R., Malmstrom, T. & McIntosh, J. R. J. Cell Sci. 115, 931–940 (2002).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wordeman, L. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 17, 82–88 (2005).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Pereira, A. J., Dalby, B., Stewart, R. J., Doxsey, S. J. & Goldstein, L. S. J. Cell Biol. 136, 1081–1090 (1997).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Sproul, L. R., Anderson, D. J., Mackey, A. T., Saunders, W. S. & Gilbert, S. P. Curr. Biol. 15, 1420–1427 (2005).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhu, C. et al. Mol. Biol. Cell 16, 3187–3199 (2005).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University, Myers Hall 262, 915 East 3rd St., Bloomington, 47405, IN, USA

    Claire E. Walczak

Authors
  1. Claire E. Walczak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Walczak, C. Kinesin-8s: motoring and depolymerizing. Nat Cell Biol 8, 903–905 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb0906-903

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb0906-903

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing