What is the Difference Between Dynein and Kinesin?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Dynein and kinesin are both motor proteins that play crucial roles in intracellular transport and cell division. They move along microtubules and facilitate the transport of vesicles and other cargo within the cell. The main differences between dynein and kinesin are:
- Direction of Movement: Dynein moves towards the minus end of the microtubule, transporting cargo to the center of the cell, while kinesin moves towards the plus end of the microtubule, transporting cargo to the periphery of the cell.
- Structure: Dynein protein consists of one to three heavy chains complexed to intermediate, light-intermediate, and light chains. In contrast, kinesin protein consists of two heavy chains and two light chains.
- Step Size: Dynein has a larger step size than kinesin, making it a faster motor than kinesin. However, kinesin is capable of transporting larger payloads.
Both dynein and kinesin are ATP hydrolases, meaning they use the energy from ATP to drive their movement along microtubules. They are essential for cell division and other cellular processes.
Comparative Table: Dynein vs Kinesin
Dynein and kinesin are both motor proteins that play crucial roles in the normal function of cells and intracellular transport. Here is a table comparing their main differences:
Feature | Dynein | Kinesin |
---|---|---|
Directionality | Dynein moves towards the minus-end of microtubules, while kinesin moves towards the plus-end of microtubules. | Plus-end directed: N-kinesin and M-kinesin Minus-end directed: C-kinesin. |
Functional Branches | Dynein has two main branches: cytoplasmic dyneins and axonemal dyneins. | Kinesin superfamily is more diverse and extensive, with multiple subtypes. |
Step Size | Dynein has a larger step size than kinesin, making it a faster motor protein. | Kinesin generally has a smaller step size. |
Transport Capability | Dynein is capable of carrying lighter payloads, while kinesin can transport larger payloads. | Kinesin can carry larger loads. |
Structural Components | Dynein proteins consist of one to three heavy chains complexed with intermediate, light-intermediate, and light chains. | Kinesin proteins consist of two heavy chains and two light chains. |
Subfamilies | The dynein superfamily is relatively limited in terms of the number of species in the family. | The kinesin superfamily is more extensive and diverse. |
Both dynein and kinesin are ATP hydrolases, important for cell division, and play a role in material transport within the cell.
- Cytoplasmic vs Axonemal Dynein
- Kinematics vs Dynamics
- Actin vs Myosin
- Kinetics vs Kinematics
- Kinetochore vs Nonkinetochore Microtubules
- Mitochondria vs Kinetoplast
- Cyclins vs Cyclin Dependent Kinases
- Thermodynamics vs Kinetics
- Kinase vs Phosphatase
- ATPase vs ATP Synthase
- Kinase vs Phosphorylase
- Akinesia vs Dyskinesia
- Static friction vs Kinetic friction
- Static Energy vs Kinetic Energy
- Flagella vs Cilia
- Centromere vs Kinetochore
- Karyokinesis vs Cytokinesis
- Microtubules vs Microfilaments
- Kinematic vs Dynamic Viscosity