The most common member of the class of kinesins is the motor protein actually called kinesin. This protein has many characteristics that are typical of the class. It “is a rod-shaped protein approximately 80 nm in length with two globular heads connected to a fan-like tail by a long stalk” (Stenoien). Kinesins always “walk” along the polarized filaments in the positive direction, generally transporting their cargos from the center of the cell to the edge.

Image from: http://valelab.ucsf.edu/external/moviepages/moviesMolecMotors.html

The dyenin class of motor proteins function by converting ATP into movement within cells. They do this by “walking” along structures called microtubules. Unlike kinesins, which always walk in the positive end of the microtubules, dyenins always walk toward the negative direction of microtubules. This usually takes dyenins in a direction towards the cell center. There are two versions of dyenin; one cytoplasmic version (found in all animal cells) and another axenomal version (enervates cilia and flagella). Protein members of the dyenin class share many basic characteristics, but they differ in terms of protein domains that allow them to carry specialized cargos (Stenoien).

Image from: http://www.clare.cam.ac.uk/Fellows-and-Staff-Directory/apc48/