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Practice question

Question

Which motor protein moves cilia and flagella?

Options

Choose one · Correct answer highlighted

Explanation

Cilia and flagella motility requires active sliding filament machine within conserved axoneme evolutionary ancient. Structure nine outer doublet microtubules surrounding central pair retains dynein motors as exclusive driver of beating: outer dynein arms contain two or three heavy chains per arm inner arms more heterogeneous but also axonemal dynein isoforms both anchored to A tubule via docking complex and reaching to B tubule of neighboring doublet executing ATP hydrolysis cycle. Power stroke toward minus end attempts to slide doublets relative each other but nexin dynein regulatory complex NDRC and radial spokes constrain sliding converting linear force into bending moment propagated along length in oscillatory fashion regulated by calcium calmodulin kinases and central pair rotation. Kinesin-1 transports mitochondria outward on cytoplasmic microtubules also drives anterograde intraflagellar transport constructing flagellum but not bending itself Myosin II actin based contractility not involved in axonemal bending. Hence dynein powers motion with coordinated activation producing wave form for mucus propulsion sperm swimming and left right patterning nodal flow.