Kinesins in cell migration

Abstract

Human cells express 45 kinesins, microtubule motors that transport a variety of molecules and organelles within the cell. Many kinesins also modulate the tracks they move on by either bundling or sliding or regulating the dynamic assembly and disassembly of the microtubule polymer. In migrating cells, microtubules control the asymmetry between the front and rear of the cell by differentially regulating force generation processes and substrate adhesion. Many of these functions are mediated by kinesins, transporters as well as track modulators. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on kinesin functions in cell migration.