kinesin family 4A (Kif4a, chromokinesin, KIF4)

Function

• motor protein that translocates PRC1 to the plus ends of interdigitating spindle microtubules during the metaphase to anaphase transition, an essential step for formation of an organized central spindle midzone & midbody & for successful cytokinesis
• may play a role in mitotic chromosomal positioning & bipolar spindle stabilization
• interacts with unphosphorylated PRC1 during late mitosis

Structure

• belongs to the kinesin-like protein family, Chromokinesin subfamily
• contains 1 kinesin-motor domain

Compartment

• nucleus matrix
• present in the nucleolus
• in early mitosis, associated with the mitotic spindle
• in anaphase, localized to the spindle midzone &, in telophase & cytokinesis, to the midbody
• in late cytokinesis, found in the center of the midbody
• associated with chromosomes at all stages of mitosis

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=2

Expression

• highly expressed in hematopoietic tissues
• highly expressed in fetal liver, spleen, thymus
• highly expressed in adult thymus & bone marrow
• lower levels are found in heart, testis, kidney, colon & lung

More general terms

• kinesin family protein
• phosphoprotein

Database

• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:2413
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/O95239.html
• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=24137