Functional Characterization of Unconventional Myosin Motors

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Previous work allowed us to link structural alterations introduced by specific mutations into the myosin motor domain to the mechanism of chemomechamcal energy transduction and the in vivo and in vitro functions of class-1 and class-2 myosins. Within the context of the proposed work we aim to shift the main focus of our work from the Dictyostelium model system, which was used exclusively in previous work, to the study of mammalian myosins. Specifically, we will characterise the structural and functional properties of MyoG, which is produced during all stages of Dictyostelium development, and mammalian myosins belonging to classes 16 and 18. Class 16 myosins are most prominent in developing neural tissue and are likely to share some of their functional properties with class-1 myosins. Class 18 myosins are produced rather ubiquitously. They form heavy chain dimers and it is questionable whether they can act as molecular motors. All three types of myosins contain protein interaction domains outside the motor domain. Our long term goal in entering these studies is the elucidation of connections between motor mediated transport processes and chemical signalling events.