Regulation of kinesin and cytoplasmic dynein-driven organelle motility

We propose that the regulation of kinesin- and cytoplasmic dynein-driven organelle motility is coupled since membrane traffic within cells is largely cyclic and both motors are required to complete the cycles whether the traffic is endocytic, ER-Golgi traffic or granule movements. Coordinated regulation of both motors implies that there may be a central control point. A membrane protein such as kinectin or an accessory factor(s) involved in both kinesin- and cytoplasmic dynein-driven organelle movements constitute the natural focus for regulation of both motors and putative linkages to other cellular processes.