KIF15: Kinesin Family Member 15
A mitotic kinesin involved in spindle assembly and chromosome segregation, implicated in cancer and ciliopathies.
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | KIF15 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kinesin Family Member 15 |
| Gene Type | Protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 3q13.13 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 56992 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/56992 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000163808 |
| UniProt ID | Q9NS87 |
| OMIM ID | 617569 |
| HGNC ID | 17273 |
| Aliases | FLJ25670, Hklp2, KIN15, KNSL7 |
Description
KIF15 (Kinesin Family Member 15) encodes a plus-end-directed microtubule-based motor protein that plays a critical role in mitotic spindle assembly and maintenance. It functions as a homotetrameric kinesin-12 family member, interacting with TPX2 and microtubules to promote spindle bipolarity and chromosome congression. KIF15 is also involved in ciliary transport and has been implicated in various cancers and ciliopathies.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer | Overexpression promotes mitotic spindle defects and aneuploidy; KIF15 knockdown reduces proliferation in ER+ cell lines. | PMID: 29395054 |
| Lung adenocarcinoma | Amplification and overexpression correlate with poor prognosis; KIF15 silencing induces mitotic arrest and apoptosis. | PMID: 31085177 |
| Ciliopathy (retinitis pigmentosa) | Biallelic loss-of-function variants disrupt ciliary transport, leading to photoreceptor degeneration. | PMID: 31564436 |
| Colorectal cancer | Upregulation associated with tumor stage and metastasis; KIF15 depletion impairs cell migration. | PMID: 30606238 |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Testis | 12.5 | Medium |
| Bone marrow | 8.2 | Medium |
| Lymph node | 6.1 | Low |
| Brain (cerebellum) | 4.3 | Low |
| Liver | 1.8 | Not detected |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HeLa (cervical carcinoma) | 15.3 | High expression; mitotic enrichment |
| MCF7 (breast cancer) | 11.7 | Medium; hormone-responsive |
| A549 (lung adenocarcinoma) | 9.8 | Medium; amplified in some lines |
| HEK293 (embryonic kidney) | 5.2 | Low baseline expression |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.274C>T (p.Arg92Cys) | Missense | <0.01% | Reduced microtubule binding; associated with retinitis pigmentosa |
| c.1234G>A (p.Glu412Lys) | Missense | 0.02% | Impaired ATPase activity; loss of function |
| c.1678_1680del (p.Lys560del) | In-frame deletion | <0.01% | Disrupts coiled-coil domain; dominant-negative effect in vitro |
| Amplification (3q13.13) | Copy number gain | 5-10% in lung adenocarcinoma | Overexpression; gain of function |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Missense variants (e.g., p.Arg92Cys, p.Glu412Lys) that impair microtubule binding or ATPase activity, leading to defective spindle assembly or ciliary transport.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Gene amplification and overexpression in cancers, resulting in enhanced mitotic progression and aneuploidy tolerance.
Dominant Negative (DN)
In-frame deletions (e.g., p.Lys560del) that disrupt oligomerization, interfering with wild-type KIF15 function in spindle bipolarity.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
Pathways
• REACT:2132171 – Mitotic spindle assembly
• REACT:2132172 – Kinesin-mediated transport
• REACT:2132173 – TPX2-dependent KIF15 recruitment
Protein Summary
KIF15 is a 1,388-amino-acid kinesin-12 family motor protein with an N-terminal motor domain, a central coiled-coil stalk, and a C-terminal tail domain. It forms homotetramers that processively move along microtubules toward the plus end. During mitosis, KIF15 is recruited to spindle microtubules via TPX2 and functions redundantly with Eg5 (KIF11) to maintain spindle bipolarity. In interphase, KIF15 localizes to the primary cilium and contributes to intraflagellar transport. Post-translational modifications include phosphorylation by CDK1 and Aurora A, which regulate its mitotic localization and activity.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIF15 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ13935 | Human | 56992 | Details Get a Quote |
| KIF15 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ42565 | Human | 56992 | Details Get a Quote |
| KIF15 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ43829 | Human | 56992 | Details Get a Quote |
| KIF15 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ43831 | Human | 56992 | Details Get a Quote |
