Kinesins are microtubule-based motor proteins that are well known for their key roles in cell biological processes ranging from cell division, to intracellular transport of mRNAs, proteins, vesicles, and organelles, and microtubule disassembly. Interestingly, many of the ~45 distinct kinesin genes in vertebrate genomes have also been associated with specific phenotypes in embryonic development. In this review, we highlight the specific developmental roles of kinesins, link these to cellular roles reported in vitro, and highlight remaining gaps in our understanding of how this large and important family of proteins contributes to the development and morphogenesis of animals.

驱动蛋白是基于微管的运动蛋白，因其在细胞生物学过程中的关键作用而闻名，这些过程包括细胞分裂、mRNA、蛋白质、囊泡和细胞器的细胞内运输以及微管分解。有趣的是，脊椎动物基因组中约 45 个不同的驱动蛋白基因中的许多也与胚胎发育中的特定表型相关。在这篇综述中，我们强调了驱动蛋白的特定发育作用，将这些作用与体外报道的细胞作用联系起来，并强调了我们对这个庞大而重要的蛋白质家族如何促进动物发育和形态发生的理解中仍然存在的空白。