Eukaryotic cells coordinate a number of cellular movements to accomplish a variety of functions including intracellular transport, cell division, and cellular morphogenesis. The identification of microtubule-associated mechanochemical proteins such as kinesin has significantly enhanced our understanding of intracellular motility. This is distinctly apparent in neurons, where axonal transport is critical for the function and survival of the cell. In fact, kinesin has been implicated in various neurological disorders, memory impairment, and cancer. The mouse is a model mammalian system in which to examine the complex process of axonal transport and the role which microtubule motor proteins play, however, research in this organism has only recently begun. Several novel kinesin-related genes have been identified from the murine central nervous system. Gene targeting technology will be used to create a mouse deficient in one of these genes, making it possible to directly test the role of this protein in the context of the whole animal. My proposal to characterize kinesin- related genes from the murine central nervous system may therefore lead to a better understanding of the causes and treatments of some types of disease.
