Boger, E: Mouse Myosin XVa

Myosins comprise a class of molecular motors thatmove along actin filaments and deliver cargo tospecific cellular compartments. This book provides adetailed examination of the mouse myosin XVabiological function, characterization of full-lengthmouse inner ear myosins VIIa, VIIb, X and XVa cDNAtranscripts and the cellular targeting of myosinsVIIa, VIIb, X and XVa in mouse inner ear hair cells.Stereocilia are actin-filled projections on theapical surface of inner ear hair cells that detectmechanical stimuli of sound and head movement. Theprecise arrangement of stereocilia rows in astaircase-like pattern required for normal functionis disrupted by the failure of myosin XVa to deliverwhirlin to stereocilia tips resulting in deafness andvestibular defects. In transfected mouse hair cellsdeficient for myosin XVa function, the domains ofmyosin XVa required for stereocilia tip targetingwere different than those required in there-initiation of stereocilia elongation and staircaseformation. The information in this book should beespecially useful to investigators in the fields ofneuroscience, biophysics, genetics and cell biology.