Final answer:
Kinesin is a motor protein that moves materials towards the plus end of microtubules using ATP, facilitating anterograde transport of organelles and vesicles in cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Kinesin is a motor protein that moves materials towards the plus end of microtubules, typically from the center of the cell towards the periphery.
Movement of kinesin towards the plus end of microtubules is crucial for the anterograde transport of organelles and vesicles, such as neurotransmitter vesicles arising from the endomembrane system in neuron cell bodies.
This process is ATP-dependent, meaning kinesin requires energy from ATP hydrolysis to move cargoes along the microtubules. On the other hand, another motor protein called dynein is responsible for the retrograde transport, moving materials from the periphery of the cell back towards the center.
Kinesin's anterograde movement facilitates important cellular functions such as exocytosis of secretory proteins and the response to various stimuli through the transport of vesicles to locations like nerve endings.