The Neurospora organelle motor: a distant relative of conventional kinesin with unconventional properties

G Steinberg and M Schliwa

Institute for Cell Biology, University of Munich, Germany.

The "conventional" kinesins comprise a conserved family of molecular motors for organelle transport that have been identified in various animal species. Organelle motors from other phyla have not yet been analyzed at the molecular level. Here we report the identification, biochemical and immunological characterization, and molecular cloning of a cytoplasmic motor in a "lower" eukaryote, the Ascomycete fungus Neurospora crassa. This motor, termed Nkin (for Neurospora kinesin), exhibits several unique structural and functional features, including a high rate of microtubule transport, a lack of copurifying light chains, a second P-loop motif, and an overall sequence organization reminiscent of a kinesin-like protein. However, a greater than average sequence homology in the motor domain and the presence of a highly conserved region in the C-terminus identify Nkin as a distant relative of the family of conventional kinesins. A molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests Nkin to have diverged early in the evolution of this family of motors. The discovery of Nkin may help identify domains important for specific biological functions in conventional kinesins.

Volume 6, Issue 11, pp. 1605-1618, 11/01/1995
Copyright © 1995 by The American Society for Cell Biology

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Steinberg Hyphal Growth: a Tale of Motors, Lipids, and the Spitzenkorper Eukaryot. Cell, March 1, 2007; 6(3): 351 - 360. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. E. Glater, L. J. Megeath, R. S. Stowers, and T. L. Schwarz Axonal transport of mitochondria requires milton to recruit kinesin heavy chain and is light chain independent J. Cell Biol., May 22, 2006; 173(4): 545 - 557. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Straube, G. Hause, G. Fink, and G. Steinberg Conventional Kinesin Mediates Microtubule-Microtubule Interactions In Vivo Mol. Biol. Cell, February 1, 2006; 17(2): 907 - 916. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Schuchardt, D. Assmann, E. Thines, C. Schuberth, and G. Steinberg Myosin-V, Kinesin-1, and Kinesin-3 Cooperate in Hyphal Growth of the Fungus Ustilago maydis Mol. Biol. Cell, November 1, 2005; 16(11): 5191 - 5201. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Bathe, K. Hahlen, R. Dombi, L. Driller, M. Schliwa, and G. Woehlke The Complex Interplay between the Neck and Hinge Domains in Kinesin-1 Dimerization and Motor Activity Mol. Biol. Cell, August 1, 2005; 16(8): 3529 - 3537. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Sampson and I. B. Heath The dynamic behaviour of microtubules and their contributions to hyphal tip growth in Aspergillus nidulans Microbiology, May 1, 2005; 151(5): 1543 - 1555. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Fuchs and B. Westermann Role of Unc104/KIF1-related Motor Proteins in Mitochondrial Transport in Neurospora crassa Mol. Biol. Cell, January 1, 2005; 16(1): 153 - 161. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Borkovich, L. A. Alex, O. Yarden, M. Freitag, G. E. Turner, N. D. Read, S. Seiler, D. Bell-Pedersen, J. Paietta, N. Plesofsky, et al. Lessons from the Genome Sequence of Neurospora crassa: Tracing the Path from Genomic Blueprint to Multicellular Organism Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., March 1, 2004; 68(1): 1 - 108. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Iwai, A. Ishiji, I. Mabuchi, and K. Sutoh A Novel Actin-bundling Kinesin-related Protein from Dictyostelium discoideum J. Biol. Chem., February 6, 2004; 279(6): 4696 - 4704. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Macioce, G. Gambara, M. Bernassola, L. Gaddini, P. Torreri, G. Macchia, C. Ramoni, M. Ceccarini, and T. C. Petrucci {beta}-Dystrobrevin interacts directly with kinesin heavy chain in brain J. Cell Sci., December 1, 2003; 116(23): 4847 - 4856. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Weber, C. Gruber, and G. Steinberg A Class-V Myosin Required for Mating, Hyphal Growth, and Pathogenicity in the Dimorphic Plant Pathogen Ustilago maydis PLANT CELL, December 1, 2003; 15(12): 2826 - 2842. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. M. Palacios and D. S. Johnston Kinesin light chain-independent function of the Kinesin heavy chain in cytoplasmic streaming and posterior localisation in the Drosophila oocyte Development, January 12, 2002; 129(23): 5473 - 5485. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Fuchs, H. Prokisch, W. Neupert, and B. Westermann Interaction of mitochondria with microtubules in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa J. Cell Sci., January 5, 2002; 115(9): 1931 - 1937. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Miki, M. Setou, K. Kaneshiro, and N. Hirokawa All kinesin superfamily protein, KIF, genes in mouse and human PNAS, June 19, 2001; 98(13): 7004 - 7011. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. J. Verhey, D. Meyer, R. Deehan, J. Blenis, B. J. Schnapp, T. A. Rapoport, and B. Margolis Cargo of Kinesin Identified as Jip Scaffolding Proteins and Associated Signaling Molecules J. Cell Biol., March 5, 2001; 152(5): 959 - 970. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G Steinberg, R Wedlich-Soldner, M Brill, and I Schulz Microtubules in the fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis are highly dynamic and determine cell polarity J. Cell Sci., January 2, 2001; 114(3): 609 - 622. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. Cai, S. Romagnoli, A. Moscatelli, E. Ovidi, G. Gambellini, A. Tiezzi, and M. Cresti Identification and Characterization of a Novel Microtubule-Based Motor Associated with Membranous Organelles in Tobacco Pollen Tubes PLANT CELL, September 1, 2000; 12(9): 1719 - 1736. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				K. A. Beningo, S. H. Lillie, and S. S. Brown The Yeast Kinesin-related Protein Smy1p Exerts Its Effects on the Class V Myosin Myo2p via a Physical Interaction Mol. Biol. Cell, February 1, 2000; 11(2): 691 - 702. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				A. Rahman, A. Kamal, E. A. Roberts, and L. S.B. Goldstein Defective Kinesin Heavy Chain Behavior in Mouse Kinesin Light Chain Mutants J. Cell Biol., September 20, 1999; 146(6): 1277 - 1288. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F. Stock, J. Guerrero, B. Cobb, C. T. Eggers, T.-G. Huang, X. Li, and D. D. Hackney Formation of the Compact Confomer of Kinesin Requires a COOH-terminal Heavy Chain Domain and Inhibits Microtubule-stimulated ATPase Activity J. Biol. Chem., May 21, 1999; 274(21): 14617 - 14623. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. L. de Hostos, G. McCaffrey, R. Sucgang, D. W. Pierce, and R. D. Vale A Developmentally Regulated Kinesin-related Motor Protein from Dictyostelium discoideum Mol. Biol. Cell, August 1, 1998; 9(8): 2093 - 2106. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				A. Rahman, D. S. Friedman, and L. S. B. Goldstein Two Kinesin Light Chain Genes in Mice. IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ENCODED PROTEINS J. Biol. Chem., June 19, 1998; 273(25): 15395 - 15403. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. G. Gindhart Jr., C. J. Desai, S. Beushausen, K. Zinn, and L. S.B. Goldstein Kinesin Light Chains Are Essential for Axonal Transport in Drosophila J. Cell Biol., April 20, 1998; 141(2): 443 - 454. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Khodjakov, E. M. Lizunova, A. A. Minin, M. P. Koonce, and F. K. Gyoeva A Specific Light Chain of Kinesin Associates with Mitochondria in Cultured Cells Mol. Biol. Cell, February 1, 1998; 9(2): 333 - 343. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				G Steinberg, M Schliwa, C Lehmler, M Bolker, R Kahmann, and J. McIntosh Kinesin from the plant pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis is involved in vacuole formation and cytoplasmic migration J. Cell Sci., January 8, 1998; 111(15): 2235 - 2246. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Q. Wu, T. M. Sandrock, B. G. Turgeon, O. C. Yoder, S. G. Wirsel, and J. R. Aist A Fungal Kinesin Required for Organelle Motility, Hyphal Growth, and Morphogenesis Mol. Biol. Cell, January 1, 1998; 9(1): 89 - 101. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				G. Steinberg and M. Schliwa Characterization of the Biophysical and Motility Properties of Kinesin from the Fungus Neurospora crassa J. Biol. Chem., March 29, 1996; 271(13): 7516 - 7521. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]