Introduction

In  most eukaryotic cells, transport of materials within the cytoplasm  takes place via the endomembrane . In this system, the Golgi apparatus packages materials into vesicles that move through the channels of the endoplasmic reticulum to the far reaches of the cell. However, this intracellular highway is only effective over short distances. When a cell has to transport materials through long extensions like the axon of a nerve cell, then the highways of the ER are too slow. For these situations, eukaryotic cells have developed “highspeed locomotives” called motor proteins that run along tracks of microtubules or microfilaments.

Motor proteins and the tracks they move on are ubiquitous in the myriad processes occurring within the cell. They play crucial roles in cell division, organelle transport, muscle contraction and genetic transcription. They also power bacteria’s flagella and the cilia within our lungs. These systems serve a host of other cellular functions, many of which we are only beginning to understand. For example, these “highway systems” which serve structural, transport and motility purposes, may also provide a communication function across the intercellular environment.

This website aims at providing a general overview of motor proteins, their role in transport and exploiting this  knowledge to facilitate  the active transport of both inorganic and organic nanomaterials in artificial environments.  

Home     Introduction       Transport Systems           Types of Motor Proteins       Motors at Work    Motility Assays         Questions     

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