KIF18A


Kinesin family member KIF18A is a human protein encoded by the KIF18A gene. It is part of the kinesin family of motor proteins.

Function

KIF18A is a plus-end directed motor protein, and migrates to the plus ends of the spindle during early mitosis. It first accumulates there during prophase and metaphase, and is depleted during anaphase.
KIF18a knockout in mice results in complete sterility in males, but not females, due to abnormal development of the seminiferous tubules. The mice were otherwise normal, suggesting KIF18a is not essential for cell divisions in non-germ cells.

Therapeutic Target

KIF18A has been considered as a cancer target because it is overexpressed in many cancer types and mouse studies suggest it is dispensable in somatic cells. As such, small molecule inhibitors of KIF18A have been developed to block its activity.