Myosin VI has challenged many aspects of our understanding of how molecular motors work. It is unique in myosin superfamily because myosin VI is the only myosin known to move toward the (-)-end of actin filaments. We have demonstrated that an 18-amino acid proximal part of the unique insert (proximal insert) is enough to change the directionality of myosin. Our goal is to determine key structural elements responsible the unique reverse directionality of myosin VI using computational, biochemistry, and single molecule approaches.
Engineered single molecule myosin VI motors (green) move processively on actin filaments (red)
