Myosin is one of three major classes of molecular motors: myosin, dynein, and kinesin. As the most abundant of these proteins myosin plays a structural and enzymatic role in muscle contraction and intracellular motility.
StructureStructure
Myosin has a molecular size of approximately 520 kilodaltons, with two 220 kD heavy chains and two pairs of light chains which vary in size. [1] The molecule is asymmetric, having a long tail and two globular heads. [1] The heavy chains each constitute a globular head. [1]
FunctionFunction
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Literature CitedLiterature Cited
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rayment I, Rypniewski WR, Schmidt-Base K, Smith R, Tomchick DR, Benning MM, Winkelmann DA, Wesenberg G, Holden HM. Three-dimensional structure of myosin subfragment-1: a molecular motor. Science. 1993 Jul 2;261(5117):50-8. PMID:8316857