A protein in the
Myosin family that is essential to
intracellular motility (that is the movement of stuff within the cells). They move around
vacuoles, and are often highly associated with the
Golgi apparatus.
Mutation of Myosin 5 in
yeast results in problems with
protein secretion and is noticeable by the build up of vacuoles in the
cytoplasm.
Myosin 5 is particularly concentrated in the brain and other
nervous tissue where the transport of
neurotransmitters down the length of
neuron axons and its timely release into the
synaptic clefts is essential.