Final answer:
The tail of the motor protein is responsible for recognizing and attaching to cargo vesicles. This region binds to specific receptor proteins embedded in the vesicle membrane, facilitating the transport of various proteins within the cell or for secretion.
Step-by-step explanation:
In motor proteins, it is the tail that recognizes the cargo. Motor proteins such as kinesin and dynein are ATPases, and they power intracellular motility by hydrolyzing ATP. Cargo recognition and binding occur at the tail region of the motor protein, where it attaches to specific cargo vesicles or organelles.
Cargo vesicles are formed at the trans Golgi face and contain various proteins destined for different locations within the cell or for secretion outside the cell. This cargo is then moved along microtubule tracks by motor proteins. For instance, in neurons, vesicles containing neurotransmitters are transported by kinesin from the cell body along axons to the nerve endings, while dynein aids in the retrograde movement of these vesicles back to the cell body.
The process by which vesicles bind to their motor proteins involves the recognition of specific receptor proteins that are integrated into the vesicle membrane. These receptors interact with the tail region of the motor protein to ensure correct cargo transport and delivery.