Structure-Based Understanding of Diversity and Similarity of Cellular Motors

本研究旨在阐明运动蛋白在细胞运动、细胞分裂、吞噬、内吞和囊泡运输等多种细胞过程中的功能特性。这些运动蛋白由三个超级家族组成；肌凝蛋白，运动蛋白和动力蛋白。尽管所有这些蛋白质都具有将ATP水解释放的化学能转化为机械能（如丝滑动和力）的共同功能，但它们在体外和体内的运动功能却惊人地多样化。我们组织了这个研究项目来了解不同运动功能的分子机制。为了开展该项目，组织了以下三个研究组。(1)寻找新的运动蛋白。(2)运动功能动力学。(3)单分子成像与操作。除了这些有组织的团体外，还招募了个别研究人员。为了协调这些研究，我们每年组织一次会议和国际会议。我们还设计了各种方法来加强研究人员在这个项目中的合作。这个为期4年的项目最终产生了大量重要的出版物，其中包括许多合作论文，该项目的一些成员做出了贡献。

This research was aimed at elucidating the characteristic functional properties of Motor proteins are involved in a variety of cellular processes such as cell locomotion, cell division, phagocytosis, endocytosis and vesicle transport. These motor proteins consist of three super-families ; myosin, kinesin and dynein. Although all of these proteins have the common function to change the chemical energy released by ATP hydrolysis to mechanical energy such as filament sliding and force, their in vitro and in vivo motor functions are surprisingly diverse. We have organized the reseairch project to understand the molecular mechanism of the diverse motor functions. To carry out the project, the following three research groups have been organized. (1) Searching for new motor proteins. (2) Dynamics of motor functions. (3) Single molecule imaging and manipulation. Besides these organized groups, individual researchers have been also recruited. To coordinate these researches, we have organized a meeting and a international conference each year. We have also devised various ways to enhance collaboration among the researchers in this project. This 4 year project has finally produced large number of important publications including many collaborative papers to which a number of members of this project have contributed.