Molecular mechanism of dynein-dynactin complex assembly by LIS1. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38547289/)

These scientists wanted to understand how a special motor called cytoplasmic dynein works inside our cells. They knew that this motor is very important for organizing and dividing cells, but they didn't know exactly how it interacts with other parts of the cell. So, they decided to study it using a powerful microscope that can see things at a very tiny level.

First, they looked at the structure of cytoplasmic dynein and another important part called dynactin while they were attached to tiny tubes inside the cell called microtubules. They also added two other parts called LIS1 and JIP3 to see how they all work together.

What they found was really interesting! They discovered that JIP3 helps activate the dynein motor even though it looks different from what they expected. And they also saw that LIS1 binds to another part of dynactin, which helps keep everything in place and make sure the dynein motor works efficiently.

So, by studying all these parts together, the scientists learned more about how our cells stay organized and how this special motor helps them work properly. This could help them understand diseases better and maybe even find new ways to treat them in the future.

Singh K., Lau CK., Manigrasso G., Gama JB., Gassmann R., Carter AP. Molecular mechanism of dynein-dynactin complex assembly by LIS1. Science. 2024 Mar 29;383(6690):eadk8544. doi: 10.1126/science.adk8544. Epub 2024 Mar 29.