Publication Date:
2011-01-09
Description:
Cellular motors are fascinating machines that function by undergoing successive conformational changes that require joints in their structure. Where these are located is particularly critical for molecular motors that produce force with relatively rigid lever arms, such as myosins (1). A long-standing paradox in myosin function may finally be understood from structural insights provided by Cohen and colleagues in PNAS (2). Although highly flexible joints are necessary to turn off their activity, these molecular motors have evolved to control such compliance in active heads to produce force under various strain. The structure of the light chain-binding domain (LCD) of scallop...
Print ISSN:
0027-8424
Electronic ISSN:
1091-6490
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
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