Myosin is a super family of actin based molecular motors that hydrolyze ATP and generate physical force to move specific molecules inside the cell. This super family, divided into at least twenty four classes based on head domain sequence similarity and domain organization. The processivity of myosins along an actin filament and transport of intracellular ‘cargo’ are achieved by generating physical force from chemical energy of ATP followed by appropriate conformational changes (1).
Myosin has raised an interest because of its role in tumor progression. Increased levels of Myosin have been documented in several cancers. Both immunohistochemical and Western blot analysis performed using tissue arrays and specific anti-Myosin antibodies revealed high expression of Myosin in colorectal cancers (2). Anti-Myosin inhibitors were found to be effective in decreasing the invasiveness in several cancer cell lines suggesting a possible role for Myosin in control of the contractile forces (3). Myosin has also been shown to interact with actin and contributing to the cytoskeletal network (4). Tumors with high myosin expression were found to be significantly associated with higher probability of metastasis in several cancers suggesting that myosin expression in cancers is associated with tumor progression and metastasis development.
Novus Biologicals offers Myosin reagents for your research needs including:
