I Like to Move It, Move It: The Role of Kif3B of Kinesin II in Primary Cilia Cilia

Primary cilia are structures found on the surface of most cells and are important for cell signaling. For cilia to develop and function properly, materials must be transported in and out of these structures by motor proteins that travel along microtubules in the cilia. The Kinesin II motor protein transports cargo toward the tip of the cilia. Our interest lies in a motor subunit of Kinesin II, Kif3B. Kif3B binds to both ATP and microtubules; hydrolysis of ATP causes Kif3B to change its shape and move up the microtubules. Cilia development depends on the movement of materials into the cilia, and research indicates that if Kif3B is not functioning, cilia formation will not occur properly. Diseases called ciliopathies result if primary cilia production is altered. These diseases include Bardet‐Biedl syndrome (BBS), Joubert syndrome, and MORM syndrome. Using 3D printing technology, the Cedarburg SMART (Students Modeling a Research Topic) Team has designed a model of Kif3B to investigate the interaction of amino acid residues 96 through 104 of Kif3B with ATP and to visualize the neck region in Kif3B important for dimerization with Kif3A and for microtubule motility. Supported by grants from NIH‐SEPA and NIH‐CTSA