26.3k views
4 votes
Motor proteins can transport vesicles and organelles along microtubules_______

User Jeannine
by
8.4k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

Motor proteins like dynein and kinesin use ATP to transport organelles and vesicles along microtubule tracks within cells, essential for various functions such as neuron signaling and exocytosis.

Step-by-step explanation:

Motor proteins such as dynein and kinesin are enzyme ATPases which utilize the energy from ATP hydrolysis to facilitate intracellular motility. They move cargo, such as vesicles and organelles, along microtubules which function as tracks within the cellular environment. For instance, vesicles formed at the trans Golgi containing secretory proteins are transported to the plasma membrane, whereas neurotransmitter vesicles move through axons to synaptic sites. The dynein motor, as part of a dynactin complex, powers retrograde movement of empty vesicles back to the neuron's cell body, while kinesin enables the anterograde transportation of organelles from the cell body to the axon's terminal. This molecular transport mechanism is critical for cellular function and signaling.

User Steve Ferguson
by
7.1k points