MYH10

MYH10 is a human gene that encodes non-muscle myosin heavy chain II-B (NMHC II-B), a motor protein of the non-muscle myosin II (NMII) family. NMII proteins generate contractile forces in the cytoskeleton by using ATP hydrolysis to move along actin filaments, enabling a range of cellular processes such as shape change, migration, and division. NMHC II-B forms bipolar filaments with light chains to drive these activities in many cell types.

The protein features a conserved N-terminal motor domain responsible for ATPase activity, a neck region with light-chain binding sites, and a long coiled-coil tail that mediates dimerization and filament assembly. In cells, NMHC II-B associates with regulatory and essential light chains to form functional holoenzymes that interact with actin networks. Its activity and filament formation are regulated by phosphorylation events and interactions with kinases and signaling pathways.

MYH10 is broadly expressed, with roles in development and tissue remodeling. It participates in cytokinesis, maintenance of cell polarity, and directed cell migration, and is important for processes such as wound healing and neuronal development. In the nervous system, NMHC II-B contributes to neuronal migration and cortical layering; studies in model organisms show that loss of NMHC II-B disrupts brain development.

Clinical significance remains an area of active research. Altered expression or function of MYH10 has been explored in developmental disorders and cancer cell motility, and animal models with MYH10 disruption exhibit neural development defects. As with other non-muscle myosins, MYH10 provides a key mechanism by which cells regulate contractility and cytoskeletal organization.