Question

The heads of kinesin bind to _____; the light chains of kinesin bind to _____.

a) tubulin; proteins in the membrane of a vesicle
b) proteins in the membrane of an organelle; tubulin
c) proteins in the membrane of a vesicle; actin
d) collagen fibers; proteins in the cell membrane
e) none of the rest

Answer 1

The correct answer is (a) tubulin; proteins in the membrane of a vesicle, as kinesin's heads bind to microtubules composed of tubulin, and the light chains attach to vesicular membrane proteins.

Step-by-step explanation:

The heads of kinesin bind to tubulin; the light chains of kinesin bind to proteins in the membrane of a vesicle. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is a) tubulin; proteins in the membrane of a vesicle. Kinesin is a motor protein that uses the energy of ATP hydrolysis to travel along microtubules, which are made of alpha- and beta-tubulin dimers.

The heavy chains of kinesin have the motor domains that interact directly with microtubules, while the light chains are involved in attaching to the cargo, often vesicles containing various substances such as neurotransmitters or proteins for exocytosis.