Myosin VIIb (MYO7B)

Myosin VIIb (MYO7B) is an unconventional myosin motor protein that functions primarily as an actin-based ATPase, using energy from ATP hydrolysis to "walk" along actin filaments and mediate intracellular transport and cytoskeletal organization[7]. In epithelial cells of the intestines and kidneys, MYO7B is critical for the proper function of brush border microvilli: it links protocadherins and other intermicrovillar adhesion components (such as harmonin and ANKS4B) to actin, ensuring microvillar organization, length, and differentiation[4][7]. MYO7B belongs to the myosin VII family, distinguished by its divergent tail domain, which likely binds specific cargo or participating membrane compartments. Mutations or dysfunctions in MYO7B or analogous myosin family proteins are associated with neurological and developmental diseases, including epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder[4]. The protein is expressed in epithelial brush border microvilli and plays a non-redundant role in establishing normal architecture, but is not currently a direct target for approved drugs.

Other names

Unconventional myosin-VIIbMYO7BMyosin VIIB

No targeted mechanism explicitly described in literature or public databases; as a cytoskeletal motor, hypothetical mechanisms would involve interfering with its ATPase activity or actin binding, but no drugs reported.