ABSTRACT Intracellular cargo transport relies on a microtubule (MT) network and its molecular motors, dynein and kinesin. While conventional models emphasize motor‐driven cargo movement along stationary MT tracks, emerging evidence suggests that dynamic movements of MTs also contribute to directional transport. We propose a model of cargo co‐migration with moving MTs, exemplified by nuclear migration in developing neurons. This transport mode may operate across cell types, provided that cargo‐MT tethering and directional MT movements are present. We hypothesize multiple complementary mechanisms, including motor catch‐bond formation and clustering, as well as MT‐associated protein‐mediated anchorage. We further discuss how directional MT movements can be generated through motor‐driven sliding, cortical gliding, actin‐MT crosslinking, and dynamic MT instability. This coupled transport mechanism provides an additional layer of directional control that supplements motor‐stepping‐dependent transport. Potential experimental approaches to validate this hypothesis are discussed. Understanding MT‐mediated cargo delivery could refine our current models of intracellular transport and reveal new insights into neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
ZHOU et al. (Sun,) studied this question.