Tag: <span>motor proteins</span>

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Motor proteins haul precious cargo in neurons. How can we control their movement?

UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO BUFFALO, N.Y. — Inside neurons, motor proteins haul precious cargo, moving essential goods along thread-like roadways called microtubule tracks. This miniature highway system is vital for keeping neurons healthy: When traffic is flowing well, critical materials are able to reach distant areas of the cells where they’re needed. When the system breaks...

Study shows why anesthetic stops cell’s walkers in their tracks
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Study shows why anesthetic stops cell’s walkers in their tracks

RICE UNIVERSITY IMAGE: Researchers simulated the mechanism that allows propofol, a common anesthetic, to halt the movement of kinesin proteins that deliver cargoes in cells. When propofol attaches to the leading head, it weakens strain on the two-headed protein that prompts a step forward. The disruption allows ATP to bind to both heads, releasing them...