Principles of Unconventional Myosin Function and Targeting

• Published in: Annual review of cell and developmental biology 2011-01, Vol.27 (1), p.133-155
• Main Authors: Hartman, M. Amanda, Finan, Dina, Sivaramakrishnan, Sivaraj, Spudich, James A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: actin; Actins - metabolism; Actins - ultrastructure; Animals; Calcium - metabolism; cargo; Cell Adhesion; Cell Movement; cytoskeleton; Cytoskeleton - metabolism; Cytoskeleton - ultrastructure; GTP Phosphohydrolases - metabolism; Humans; Membrane Lipids - chemistry; Membrane Lipids - metabolism; Membrane Microdomains - chemistry; Membrane Microdomains - metabolism; Microfilament Proteins - metabolism; Molecular Motor Proteins - metabolism; Molecular Motor Proteins - ultrastructure; motor protein; Myosins - metabolism; Myosins - ultrastructure; Protein Isoforms - metabolism; Protein Isoforms - ultrastructure; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; trafficking
• ISSN: 1081-0706; 1530-8995
• DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100809-151502

Unconventional myosins are a superfamily of actin-based motors implicated in diverse cellular processes. In recent years, much progress has been made in describing their biophysical properties, and headway has been made into analyzing their cellular functions. Here, we focus on the principles that guide in vivo motor function and targeting to specific cellular locations. Rather than describe each motor comprehensively, we outline the major themes that emerge from research across the superfamily and use specific examples to illustrate each. In presenting the data in this format, we seek to identify open questions in each field as well as to point out commonalities between them. To advance our understanding of myosins' roles in vivo, clearly we must identify their cellular cargoes and the protein complexes that regulate motor attachment to fully appreciate their functions on the cellular and developmental levels.