Affinage

KIF20A

Kinesin-like protein KIF20A · UniProt O95235

Length
890 aa
Mass
100.3 kDa
Annotated
2026-06-10
96 papers in source corpus 30 papers cited in narrative 32 extracted findings
Cross-family judge vs UniProt: Affinage preferred faithfulness: 8/8 claims corpus-supported (100%)

Mechanistic narrative

Synthesis pass · prose summary of the discoveries below

KIF20A (MKLP2/Rab6-KIFL) is a plus-end-directed kinesin-6 motor that drives cytokinesis by transporting the Aurora B chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) from anaphase chromosomes to the central spindle midzone and equatorial cortex (PMID:11060022, PMID:15263015, PMID:32502404). Its structurally atypical motor domain — an unusually long L6 insertion and a neck linker four times longer than kinesin-1 — accounts for its low processivity yet supports the processive CPC transport demonstrated in single-molecule reconstitution (PMID:32502404, PMID:37726093). CPC handoff is tightly gated: Cdk1/cyclin B1 phosphorylates the MKlp2 stalk and tail to block microtubule binding and chromosome targeting in early mitosis, and this inhibition is relieved at anaphase onset (PMID:24656812), while a Mad2-binding motif prevents premature spindle loading during the checkpoint (PMID:21149564). CPC engagement is mediated through the INCENP RRKKRR motif, whose binding to MKlp2 is switched by INCENP T59 phosphorylation and stimulates the microtubule-dependent ATPase of the motor (PMID:32356865). At the equatorial cortex MKlp2 requires myosin-II for docking and there recruits Aurora B to focus RhoA accumulation and stabilize furrow ingression (PMID:23750214), and abscission timing is set by Aurora B phosphorylation of MKlp2-S878 within a lipid-association motif, opposed by B56-PP2A, with the C-terminal tail selectively binding PI(3)P membranes for tethering at the intercellular bridge (PMID:27939310, PMID:35316051). Compound heterozygous ATPase-defective mutation (R182W) causes congenital cardiomyopathy by trapping Aurora B on chromatin (PMID:29357359). Beyond mitosis, KIF20A transports membrane and RNA-granule cargo including DLG5 and IGF2BP3-bound transcripts (PMID:15665285, PMID:25499221), regulates neural progenitor cell fate through RGS3 and SEPT7 at the intercellular bridge (PMID:30006548, PMID:31813992), and in cancer stabilizes oncoproteins by antagonizing E3 ligase–mediated ubiquitination — blocking FBXW7–c-Myc, TRIM21–DHX9, and BTRC–CDC25A degradation (PMID:38223825, PMID:38971490, PMID:41672965). Its expression is driven by multiple transcription factors (FOXM1, GATA2, ATF2) and by H3K18 lactylation (PMID:25961928, PMID:39624268, PMID:42216528, PMID:41937416).

Mechanistic history

Synthesis pass · year-by-year structured walk · 23 steps
  1. 2000 High

    Established KIF20A as a Rab6-binding kinesin physically required for cleavage furrow formation, defining cytokinesis as its founding function.

    Evidence Yeast two-hybrid, inhibitory antibody microinjection, and time-lapse imaging localizing it to midzone, furrow, and midbody

    PMID:11060022

    Open questions at the time
    • Did not define the molecular cargo at the furrow
    • Motor activity not directly measured
  2. 2004 High

    Identified the key cytokinetic cargo, showing MKlp2 binds and relocates the Aurora B–INCENP CPC from centromeres to the central spindle at the metaphase-to-anaphase transition.

    Evidence siRNA depletion, co-immunoprecipitation with Aurora B and Cdc14A, immunofluorescence

    PMID:15263015

    Open questions at the time
    • Did not demonstrate direct motor-driven transport in vitro
    • Temporal gating mechanism not resolved
  3. 2005 Medium

    Extended KIF20A function beyond CPC transport to membrane trafficking by identifying DLG5 as a transported cargo.

    Evidence Anti-RAB6KIFL proteomics, siRNA knockdown, and subcellular localization of DLG5

    PMID:15665285

    Open questions at the time
    • Single lab
    • Direct motor-cargo binding not biochemically reconstituted
  4. 2010 High

    Defined how spindle loading is temporally restricted, showing a Mad2-binding motif prevents premature MKlp2 spindle loading during the checkpoint.

    Evidence Co-IP, Mad2-motif mutagenesis, live imaging, and siRNA rescue

    PMID:21149564

    Open questions at the time
    • Relationship to Cdk1 gating not integrated
  5. 2014 High

    Revealed the master cell-cycle switch: Cdk1/cyclin B1 phosphorylation inhibits MKlp2 microtubule binding and chromosome targeting until anaphase, when dephosphorylation licenses CPC relocation.

    Evidence Mass spectrometry phosphosite mapping, in vitro kinase assays, microtubule-binding/bundling assays, and cellular rescue

    PMID:24656812

    Open questions at the time
    • Identity of the anaphase phosphatase not resolved here
  6. 2014 Medium

    Showed an interphase cargo-transport role in cancer cell migration via delivery of IGF2BP3-bound mRNA granules to protrusions.

    Evidence siRNA knockdown, immunofluorescence, time-lapse, and invasion assays in pancreatic cancer cells

    PMID:25499221

    Open questions at the time
    • Single lab
    • Direct motor–IGF2BP3 binding not reconstituted
  7. 2013 High

    Dissected cortical CPC delivery, showing MKlp2 needs myosin-II for equatorial cortex docking and there recruits Aurora B to focus RhoA and stabilize the furrow.

    Evidence Monopolar cytokinesis assay, dominant-negative myosin-II, binding-mutant rescue, live imaging

    PMID:23750214

    Open questions at the time
    • Myosin-II binding interface not mapped at residue level
  8. 2016 High

    Identified the abscission-timing switch: Aurora B phosphorylation of MKlp2-S878 in a lipid-association motif blocks abscission and is reversed by B56-PP2A.

    Evidence S878A mutagenesis, Aurora B kinase and PP2A phosphatase assays, abscission-timing live imaging

    PMID:27939310

    Open questions at the time
    • How S878 phosphorylation alters membrane association left to later biophysics
  9. 2018 High

    Uncovered a spindle-independent neurodevelopmental role, with MKLP2–RGS3 interaction at the intercellular bridge controlling neural progenitor cell-fate signaling.

    Evidence Co-IP, in utero electroporation, germline and inducible conditional KO mice, live imaging

    PMID:30006548

    Open questions at the time
    • Mechanism linking bridge localization to Ephrin-B/RGS signaling output incomplete
  10. 2018 High

    Linked KIF20A directly to human disease, demonstrating an ATPase-defective R182W mutation traps Aurora B on chromatin and causes congenital cardiomyopathy.

    Evidence Patient compound heterozygous mutations, ATPase assay, patient-cell Aurora B localization, zebrafish morpholino

    PMID:29357359

    Open questions at the time
    • Tissue specificity of the cardiac phenotype not fully explained
  11. 2020 High

    Provided direct proof that MKLP2 is a processive plus-end motor that transports the CPC, and partitioned midzone versus cortical delivery by degree of motor inhibition.

    Evidence Single-molecule in vitro motility with purified MKLP2 and CPC, P-loop mutant, Paprotrain, live imaging

    PMID:32502404

    Open questions at the time
    • Spatial cues distinguishing midzone vs cortex destinations not defined
  12. 2020 High

    Defined the molecular CPC–motor handoff, showing the INCENP RRKKRR motif binds MKLP2 competitively with DNA, gated by INCENP T59 phosphorylation, and that CPC binding stimulates MKLP2 ATPase.

    Evidence Crystal structure, RRKKRR mutagenesis, ATPase and competitive binding assays

    PMID:32356865

    Open questions at the time
    • Kinase/phosphatase controlling INCENP T59 not identified here
  13. 2020 High

    Added a second intercellular-bridge partner, SEPT7, required to retain KIF20A at the midbody and restrain precocious neuronal differentiation.

    Evidence Co-IP, in utero electroporation, inducible conditional Sept7 KO mice

    PMID:31813992

    Open questions at the time
    • Interplay of SEPT7 and RGS3 at the bridge not resolved
  14. 2022 Medium

    Revealed an earlier-mitosis role in chromosome congression via error correction of syntelic attachments, separable from cytokinesis.

    Evidence Live imaging, MKLP2 small-molecule inhibitor, siRNA, aneuploidy flow cytometry

    PMID:35638575

    Open questions at the time
    • Single lab
    • Mechanism connecting motor to Aurora kinase activity at kinetochores unclear
  15. 2022 Medium

    Connected KIF20A to secretory-pathway-driven oncogenic signaling, with Golgi vesicle fission supporting autocrine androgen receptor activation in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

    Evidence Overexpression, conditioned-media transfer, Paprotrain, AR reporter, xenografts, vesicle-biogenesis inhibitors

    PMID:35418689

    Open questions at the time
    • Single lab
    • Identity of secreted autocrine factors not defined
  16. 2022 Medium

    Provided the biophysical basis for membrane tethering, showing the MKlp2 C-terminal tail selectively binds PI(3)P membranes dependent on S21.

    Evidence QCM-D, AFM force spectroscopy, peptide mutagenesis on model membranes

    PMID:35316051

    Open questions at the time
    • Model membranes only
    • S21-dependent tethering not validated in cells
  17. 2023 High

    Provided the structural explanation for KIF20A's low processivity, showing a long L6 insertion that integrates into the motor core and an extended neck linker required for motility.

    Evidence X-ray crystallography, microtubule-bound cryo-EM, ATPase assays, L6/neck-linker mutagenesis

    PMID:37726093

    Open questions at the time
    • Structure of the CPC-bound transporting complex not resolved
  18. 2023 Medium

    Defined a non-motor oncogenic mechanism, showing KIF20A binds BTRC to reduce CDC25A ubiquitination and stabilize it.

    Evidence GST pull-down, Co-IP, in vitro ubiquitination, cycloheximide chase

    PMID:38223825

    Open questions at the time
    • Single lab
    • Whether motor activity is required not addressed
  19. 2024 Medium

    Broadened the protein-stabilization paradigm, showing KIF20A competitively blocks FBXW7–c-Myc binding to stabilize c-Myc and drive glycolysis and tumor growth.

    Evidence Liver-specific KO mouse, Co-IP, c-Myc splicing mutants, ubiquitination assays, patient IHC

    PMID:38971490

    Open questions at the time
    • Single lab
    • Structural basis of FBXW7 competition undefined
  20. 2024 Medium

    Added a third E3-antagonism mechanism, showing KIF20A blocks TRIM21-mediated K48 ubiquitination of DHX9 to stabilize SOX2 mRNA and cancer stemness.

    Evidence Co-IP, K48-linkage ubiquitination assay, SOX2 mRNA stability, in vitro/in vivo functional rescue

    PMID:41672965

    Open questions at the time
    • Single lab
    • Generality of TRIM21 antagonism unclear
  21. 2020 Medium

    Identified GATA2 as a direct transcriptional activator of KIF20A in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma, linking viral oncogenesis to KIF20A expression.

    Evidence ChIP, luciferase reporter, siRNA, overexpression, viability/apoptosis assays

    PMID:39624268

    Open questions at the time
    • Single lab
    • Direct downstream KIF20A effectors in this context not mapped
  22. 2025 Medium

    Refined midzone targeting, showing KIF20A delivers CPC from non-overlapping microtubules while PRC1-crosslinked KIF4A retains it at antiparallel overlaps.

    Evidence In vitro reconstitution with purified proteins, conditional KIF4A depletion, live imaging (preprint)

    Open questions at the time
    • Preprint, not peer-reviewed
    • Handoff stoichiometry between KIF20A and KIF4A undefined
  23. 2026 Medium

    Connected KIF20A to a metabolic-epigenetic immune-evasion axis, where H3K18 lactylation activates KIF20A transcription and KIF20A stabilizes c-Myc to raise PD-L1 and suppress T cells.

    Evidence ChIP-seq, reporter assays, CD8+ T cell co-cultures, xenograft/orthotopic models, patient IHC

    PMID:41937416

    Open questions at the time
    • Single lab
    • Specific H3K18la-occupied promoter element not finely mapped

Open questions

Synthesis pass · forward-looking unresolved questions
  • How the diverse non-mitotic activities (E3-ligase antagonism, RNA-granule and endosomal transport, neural cell-fate signaling) depend on or are separable from canonical motor and CPC-transport functions remains unresolved.
  • No unified model linking motor activity to stabilization functions
  • Several interactions rest on single Co-IPs without reciprocal validation
  • Tissue-specific regulation of distinct functions undefined

Mechanism profile

Synthesis pass · controlled-vocabulary classification · explore literature graph →
Molecular activity
GO:0140657 ATP-dependent activity 4 GO:0003774 cytoskeletal motor activity 3 GO:0008092 cytoskeletal protein binding 3 GO:0140313 molecular sequestering activity 3 GO:0008289 lipid binding 2
Localization
GO:0005856 cytoskeleton 3 GO:0005886 plasma membrane 2 GO:0005768 endosome 1 GO:0005794 Golgi apparatus 1
Pathway
R-HSA-1640170 Cell Cycle 5 R-HSA-1643685 Disease 4 R-HSA-5653656 Vesicle-mediated transport 4 R-HSA-1266738 Developmental Biology 2 R-HSA-1852241 Organelle biogenesis and maintenance 2
Partners
AURKBBTRCINCENPKIF4AMAD2RAB6RGS3SEPT7
Complex memberships
chromosomal passenger complex (CPC)

Evidence

Reading pass · 32 per-paper findings extracted from the source corpus
Year Finding Method Journal Conf PMIDs
2000 KIF20A (Rab6-KIFL) was identified as a Rab6-binding kinesin via two-hybrid screen; it localizes to the spindle midzone in anaphase and to the cleavage furrow and midbody in telophase, and microinjection of anti-Rab6-KIFL antibodies causes binucleation due to failure of cleavage furrow formation, establishing a direct role in cytokinesis. Yeast two-hybrid screen, microinjection of inhibitory antibodies, time-lapse microscopy, immunofluorescence localization The EMBO journal High 11060022
2004 MKlp2 (KIF20A) is required for relocation of the Aurora B–INCENP chromosome passenger complex (CPC) from centromeres to the central spindle at the metaphase-to-anaphase transition; MKlp2 physically binds Aurora B and also binds the phosphatase Cdc14A, which can dephosphorylate INCENP to facilitate CPC relocation. siRNA depletion, co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence microscopy The Journal of cell biology High 15263015
2005 KIF20A (RAB6KIFL) transports the scaffolding protein DLG5 as cargo; proteomics with anti-RAB6KIFL antibody identified DLG5 as a KIF20A cargo, and KIF20A knockdown displaced DLG5 from cytoplasmic membranes to the cytoplasm, demonstrating a membrane-trafficking function. Proteomics/pull-down with anti-RAB6KIFL antibody, siRNA knockdown, subcellular fractionation/immunolocalization Cancer research Medium 15665285
2005 KIF20A ATPase activity and microtubule-binding can be studied biochemically using recombinant protein from insect cells; Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) interaction with KIF20A was established using recombinant proteins in vitro. In vitro biochemical assays (microtubule binding, ATPase), recombinant protein expression in insect cells, in vitro Plk1 binding assay Methods in enzymology Medium 16473625
2010 Mad2 binds MKlp2 (KIF20A) via a consensus Mad2-binding motif on MKlp2, preventing its loading onto the mitotic spindle and blocking CPC relocation from centromeres; an MKlp2 mutant refractory to Mad2 binding prematurely loads onto the spindle and mislocalizes Aurora B from the midbody, causing cytokinesis failure. Co-immunoprecipitation, site-directed mutagenesis of Mad2-binding motif, live-cell imaging, siRNA rescue experiments The Journal of cell biology High 21149564
2013 MKlp2 requires myosin-II for its own localization to the equatorial cortex; this event is required to recruit Aurora B to the equatorial cortex, which in turn promotes focused RhoA accumulation and stable cleavage furrow ingression. An MKlp2 mutant defective in myosin-II binding fails to recruit Aurora B to the cortex and fails to maintain the ingressing furrow. Drug-induced monopolar cytokinesis assay, dominant-negative myosin-II, MKlp2 binding-mutant expression, immunofluorescence, live-cell imaging PloS one High 23750214
2014 Cdk1/cyclin B1 phosphorylates multiple sites in the MKlp2 stalk and C-terminal tail, inhibiting microtubule binding, bundling, oligomerization, and chromosome targeting of MKlp2 during early mitosis. Reversal of Cdk1 phosphorylation at anaphase onset promotes MKlp2–CPC complex formation and CPC relocation from chromosomes to the central spindle for cytokinesis. Identification of Cdk1 phosphorylation sites by mass spectrometry and mutagenesis, in vitro kinase assays, microtubule-binding/bundling assays, immunofluorescence, cell cycle analysis Cell reports High 24656812
2014 KIF20A promotes motility and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells by transporting the RNA-binding protein IGF2BP3 and its bound transcripts (including ARF6 and ARHGEF4 mRNAs) toward cell protrusions along microtubules; KIF20A knockdown inhibits IGF2BP3-containing stress granule accumulation in protrusions and suppresses local protein expression from these transcripts. siRNA knockdown, immunofluorescence, time-lapse microscopy, cell invasion/migration assays Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.) Medium 25499221
2015 FOXM1 directly transcriptionally regulates KIF20A expression through a Forkhead response element (FHRE) in the KIF20A promoter; FOXM1 depletion reduces KIF20A expression, causes abnormal mitotic spindle morphology and chromosome alignment, and sensitizes breast cancer cells to paclitaxel-induced mitotic catastrophe. ChIP assay, promoter-luciferase reporter, siRNA knockdown, cell viability/senescence assays, spindle morphology by immunofluorescence Oncogene High 25961928
2016 Aurora B phosphorylates MKlp2 at S878 within a lipid-association motif (LAM) in the C-terminal tail, acting as an inhibitory signal for abscission; B56-bound PP2A dephosphorylates MKlp2 S878 to promote abscission. A phospho-resistant S878A mutant of MKlp2 overrides Aurora B–mediated abscission blockade. Phospho-site mutagenesis (S878A), Aurora B kinase assay, PP2A phosphatase assay, live-cell imaging, abscission timing assays Current biology : CB High 27939310
2018 KIF20A/MKLP2 interacts with RGS3 at the intercellular bridge of dividing neural progenitor cells (NPCs); KIF20A knockdown/knockout causes dislocation of RGS3 from the intercellular bridge, impairs Ephrin-B–RGS cell fate signaling, and shifts NPCs from proliferative to differentiative divisions, resulting in thinner cortex and ventriculomegaly without substantial cytokinesis defect. Co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, in utero electroporation knockdown, germline and inducible conditional KO mice, live imaging Nature communications High 30006548
2018 Loss of function of KIF20A (R182W ATPase-defective mutation identified in congenital cardiomyopathy patients) prevents efficient transport of Aurora B as part of the CPC: Aurora B remains trapped on chromatin and fails to translocate to the spindle midzone during cytokinesis. Patient compound heterozygous mutations, functional ATPase assay, immunofluorescence of Aurora B localization in patient-derived cells, zebrafish translational-blocking morpholino model PLoS genetics High 29357359
2020 MKLP2 (KIF20A) is a processive, plus-end-directed motor that can transport the CPC along microtubules in vitro; strong suppression of MKLP2 motor activity via a P-loop mutant disrupts CPC accumulation at both the spindle midzone and equatorial cortex, whereas partial inhibition with Paprotrain mainly affects equatorial cortex localization. In vitro single-molecule motility assays with purified MKLP2 and CPC, P-loop ATPase mutant expression, Paprotrain inhibitor, live-cell imaging Current biology : CB High 32502404
2020 The INCENP RRKKRR motif is required for both centromeric CPC localization in metaphase and MKLP2-dependent CPC transport in anaphase; MKLP2 and DNA bind competitively to this motif, and INCENP T59 phosphorylation acts as a switch that prevents MKLP2 binding in metaphase. CPC binding to MKLP2 promotes the microtubule-dependent ATPase activity of MKLP2 in anaphase. Crystal structure of survivin–H3pT3 complex, mutagenesis of INCENP RRKKRR motif, ATPase assays, immunofluorescence, competitive binding assays The Journal of cell biology High 32356865
2020 SEPT7 interacts with KIF20A at the intercellular bridge of dividing NPCs; SEPT7 knockdown displaces KIF20A from the midbody, causing early neuronal differentiation. NPC-specific inducible knockout of Sept7 causes early cell cycle exit and precocious differentiation without noticeable cytokinesis defect. Co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, in utero electroporation knockdown, inducible conditional KO mice Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) High 31813992
2022 MKLP2 facilitates chromosome congression in prometaphase by promoting error correction of syntelic kinetochore-microtubule attachments; MKLP2 inhibition results in elevated Aurora kinase activity, phosphorylation of HEC1-Ser55, and aneuploidy. Live imaging with fluorescent histones, MKLP2 small-molecule inhibitor (MKLP2i), siRNA, flow cytometry for aneuploidy Journal of cell science Medium 35638575
2022 KIF20A promotes castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progression through its role in Golgi-driven secretory vesicle fission and trafficking; KIF20A expression causes secretion of autocrine factors that activate androgen receptor signaling, and pharmacologic disruption of vesicle biogenesis blocks KIF20A-driven castration-resistant proliferation. Stable KIF20A overexpression, conditioned media transfer assays, Paprotrain inhibitor, androgen receptor reporter assays, in vivo xenograft, vesicle biogenesis inhibitors Oncogene Medium 35418689
2022 The C-terminal tail of MKlp2 (CTM peptides) selectively binds PI(3)P-containing membranes over other negatively charged lipids, and this interaction depends critically on residue S21; this selective phosphoinositide binding provides a mechanism for MKlp2 tethering to the plasma membrane at the intercellular bridge during abscission. Quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D), atomic force microscopy force spectroscopy, synthetic peptide mutagenesis on model lipid membranes The journal of physical chemistry. B Medium 35316051
2023 High-resolution crystal and cryo-EM structures of the KIF20A motor domain reveal an unusually long L6 insertion that integrates into the core of the motor domain, dramatically affecting allostery and ATPase activity. The neck linker is four times longer than in kinesin-1, and the extended neck linker is required for motor activity. These structural features explain the low processivity/motility of KIF20A compared to other kinesins. X-ray crystallography (nucleotide-free motor domain), cryo-EM (microtubule-bound structure), ATPase activity assays, mutagenesis of L6 insertion and neck linker Open biology High 37726093
2023 KIF20A physically interacts with BTRC (β-TrCP1), a substrate recognition subunit of SCFβ-TrCP E3 ubiquitin ligase; via this interaction, KIF20A reduces BTRC-mediated CDC25A poly-ubiquitination and enhances CDC25A protein stability. GST pull-down, co-immunoprecipitation, in vitro ubiquitination assay, cycloheximide chase assay Journal of ginseng research Medium 38223825
2024 KIF20A inhibits FBXW7-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of c-Myc by competitively inhibiting the FBXW7–c-Myc interaction; KIF20A overexpression thereby stabilizes c-Myc, promotes glycolysis, and enhances tumor proliferation. KIF20A downregulation reduces c-Myc levels and suppresses MMR expression. KIF20A liver-specific knockout mouse, co-immunoprecipitation, c-Myc splicing mutant constructs, ubiquitination assays, immunohistochemistry of patient cohort Cancer letters Medium 38971490
2024 KIF20A inhibits DHX9 proteasomal degradation by blocking TRIM21-mediated K48-linked polyubiquitination at DHX9-K755; elevated DHX9 stabilizes SOX2 mRNA, upregulating SOX2 to promote cancer stem cell maintenance and ferroptosis resistance in OSCC. Co-immunoprecipitation, ubiquitination assay (K48-linkage specific), co-localization, SOX2 mRNA stability assay, loss-of-function/gain-of-function in vitro and in vivo Cell death & disease Medium 41672965
2025 KIF20A maximal enrichment at antiparallel microtubule overlaps of the spindle midzone requires PRC1-crosslinked microtubules and cooperation with KIF4A: KIF20A delivers the CPC from non-overlapping microtubules to the midzone, while KIF4A retains the CPC at PRC1-crosslinked overlaps. Conditional depletion of KIF4A confirms it is required for CPC localization at the spindle midzone in anaphase. In vitro reconstitution with purified proteins, conditional KIF4A depletion in mitotic cells, live-cell imaging, immunofluorescence bioRxivpreprint Medium
2025 KIF20A cooperates with Myosin II to regulate actomyosin and branched actin dynamics, facilitating fission of transport intermediates at early endosomes; KIF20A inhibition causes enlargement of early and late endosomes, impairs Transferrin trafficking, and mislocalizes β1-Integrin from the plasma membrane. KIF20A inhibitor (Paprotrain), live-cell endosome imaging, Transferrin trafficking assay, β1-Integrin localization, Myosin II co-localization and functional assays bioRxivpreprint Low
2026 SYMPK interacts with KIF20A and NUMA1 during meiotic metaphase I in oocytes, as revealed by immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry; SYMPK is required for proper localization of KIF20A and NUMA1 to the acentrosomal spindle, and SYMPK-deficient oocytes show disorganized spindle architecture and metaphase I arrest. Oocyte-specific Sympk knockout mice, immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry, immunofluorescence, chromosome spread analysis Journal of genetics and genomics Medium 41520922
2019 KIF20A localizes to microtubules in spermatogenic cells and co-localizes with the spindle midzone and midbody; KIF20A inhibition (Paprotrain) leads to defects in central spindle assembly and cytokinetic abscission in male meiosis, increased aneuploidy, and impaired acrosome formation and maturation during spermatogenesis. Immunofluorescence localization, Paprotrain inhibitor treatment, flow cytometry for ploidy, acrosome staining Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular cell research Medium 31884069
2020 Transcription factor GATA2 directly binds the KIF20A promoter and transcriptionally activates KIF20A in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma; HBx protein indirectly upregulates KIF20A via GATA2. GATA2 overexpression promotes HepG2.2.15 cell growth and inhibits apoptosis via KIF20A. ChIP assay, luciferase reporter assay, siRNA knockdown, overexpression, CCK-8 and flow cytometry Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology Medium 39624268
2026 Lactate-driven histone H3K18 lactylation (H3K18la) directly activates transcription of KIF20A; KIF20A in turn stabilizes c-Myc protein, enhancing PD-L1 expression and suppressing cytotoxic T cell function, constituting a metabolic-epigenetic immune evasion axis. Glycolysis inhibition reduces H3K18la-driven KIF20A upregulation and synergizes with anti-PD-1 therapy. ChIP-sequencing, ChIP-PCR, dual-luciferase reporter, HCC-CD8+ T cell co-cultures, gene knockdown/overexpression, mouse xenograft and orthotopic models, pan-lysine and H3K18la immunohistochemistry in patient cohorts Cancer biology & medicine Medium 41937416
2022 Auxin-inducible acute degradation of endogenous Mklp2 in MDCK cells causes delayed relocation of CPC component Aurora-B to the spindle midzone during anaphase and leads to cytokinesis failure and binucleation; these phenotypes are rescued by re-expression of Mklp2, confirming specificity. AID (auxin-inducible degron) tag on endogenous MKLP2, live-cell imaging, immunofluorescence, rescue by re-expression Biology of the cell Medium 40490973
2026 KIF20A physically interacts with DEPDC1 in liposarcoma cells as shown by co-immunoprecipitation; KIF20A knockdown partially reverses DEPDC1-driven proliferation, migration, and invasion, and attenuates PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling activation. Co-immunoprecipitation, siRNA knockdown, CCK-8/invasion assays, western blot of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway Frontiers in endocrinology Low 40600015
2026 KIF20A physically interacts with CLIP1 and enhances its protein stability in cervical cancer cells; CLIP1 silencing reverses the oncogenic effects of KIF20A overexpression. Co-immunoprecipitation, siRNA knockdown, protein stability assays, proliferation/migration/invasion functional assays, in vivo xenograft Scientific reports Low 41776329
2026 Transcription factor ATF2 binds directly to the KIF20A promoter and activates its transcription in prostate cancer, as validated by ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays. ChIP assay, dual-luciferase reporter, qRT-PCR, western blot, KIF20A knockdown functional assays Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition) Medium 42216528

Source papers

Stage 0 corpus · 96 papers · ranked by NIH iCite citations
Year Title Journal Citations PMID
2004 Relocation of Aurora B from centromeres to the central spindle at the metaphase to anaphase transition requires MKlp2. The Journal of cell biology 253 15263015
2015 Paclitaxel targets FOXM1 to regulate KIF20A in mitotic catastrophe and breast cancer paclitaxel resistance. Oncogene 186 25961928
2000 The Rab6-binding kinesin, Rab6-KIFL, is required for cytokinesis. The EMBO journal 180 11060022
2021 Suppressing the KIF20A/NUAK1/Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway induces ferroptosis and enhances the sensitivity of colorectal cancer to oxaliplatin. Aging 135 33819186
2005 Down-regulation of RAB6KIFL/KIF20A, a kinesin involved with membrane trafficking of discs large homologue 5, can attenuate growth of pancreatic cancer cell. Cancer research 97 15665285
2013 Phase I/II clinical trial using HLA-A24-restricted peptide vaccine derived from KIF20A for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Journal of translational medicine 82 24237633
2012 Genistein-induced mitotic arrest of gastric cancer cells by downregulating KIF20A, a proteomics study. Proteomics 68 22887948
2014 KIF20A-mediated RNA granule transport system promotes the invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells. Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.) 66 25499221
2014 Cdk1 coordinates timely activation of MKlp2 kinesin with relocation of the chromosome passenger complex for cytokinesis. Cell reports 61 24656812
2011 KIF20A mRNA and its product MKlp2 are increased during hepatocyte proliferation and hepatocarcinogenesis. The American journal of pathology 61 22056911
2018 Overexpression of KIF20A confers malignant phenotype of lung adenocarcinoma by promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. Cancer medicine 59 30105795
2019 Upregulated circ_0005576 facilitates cervical cancer progression via the miR-153/KIF20A axis. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie 57 31545253
2013 Targeting Aurora B to the equatorial cortex by MKlp2 is required for cytokinesis. PloS one 55 23750214
2013 Identification of promiscuous KIF20A long peptides bearing both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell epitopes: KIF20A-specific CD4+ T-cell immunity in patients with malignant tumor. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research 53 23714729
2015 Kif20a inhibition reduces migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. The Journal of surgical research 52 25953216
2018 KIF20A/MKLP2 regulates the division modes of neural progenitor cells during cortical development. Nature communications 51 30006548
2019 KIF20A promotes cellular malignant behavior and enhances resistance to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer through regulation of the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. Aging 50 31841120
2017 Functional analysis of KIF20A, a potential immunotherapeutic target for glioma. Journal of neuro-oncology 49 28070829
2023 Expression, regulating mechanism and therapeutic target of KIF20A in multiple cancer. Heliyon 47 36798768
2020 MKLP2 Is a Motile Kinesin that Transports the Chromosomal Passenger Complex during Anaphase. Current biology : CB 44 32502404
2018 Roles and mechanisms of Kinesin-6 KIF20A in spindle organization during cell division. European journal of cell biology 41 30579662
2000 cDNA cloning, expression pattern, genomic structure and chromosomal location of RAB6KIFL, a human kinesin-like gene. Gene 40 10806357
2022 Cucurbitacin B-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest of conjunctival melanoma cells mediated by GRP78-FOXM1-KIF20A pathway. Acta pharmaceutica Sinica. B 39 36213538
2020 Upregulation of KIF20A promotes tumor proliferation and invasion in renal clear cell carcinoma and is associated with adverse clinical outcome. Aging 39 33232285
2018 FOXM1 regulates radiosensitivity of lung cancer cell partly by upregulating KIF20A. European journal of pharmacology 38 29704495
2020 Cyclin F and KIF20A, FOXM1 target genes, increase proliferation and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. Experimental cell research 36 32771525
2020 FOXM1 modulates docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer by regulating KIF20A. Cancer cell international 34 33292277
2010 Mad2 inhibits the mitotic kinesin MKlp2. The Journal of cell biology 34 21149564
2020 Molecular basis of MKLP2-dependent Aurora B transport from chromatin to the anaphase central spindle. The Journal of cell biology 33 32356865
2022 The kinesin KIF20A promotes progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer through autocrine activation of the androgen receptor. Oncogene 31 35418689
2024 Inhibition of KIF20A enhances the immunotherapeutic effect of hepatocellular carcinoma by enhancing c-Myc ubiquitination. Cancer letters 28 38971490
2019 MiR-876-3p targets KIF20A to block JAK2/STAT3 pathway in glioma. American journal of translational research 28 31497212
2019 Aberrant KIF20A Expression Is Associated with Adverse Clinical Outcome and Promotes Tumor Progression in Prostate Cancer. Disease markers 27 31565099
2016 Opposing Activities of Aurora B Kinase and B56-PP2A Phosphatase on MKlp2 Determine Abscission Timing. Current biology : CB 26 27939310
2022 KDELR2-KIF20A axis facilitates bladder cancer growth and metastasis by enhancing Golgi-mediated secretion. Biological procedures online 24 36096734
2023 Berberine targets KIF20A and CCNE2 to inhibit the progression of nonsmall cell lung cancer via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Drug development research 23 37070571
2020 SEPT7 Interacts with KIF20A and Regulates the Proliferative State of Neural Progenitor Cells During Cortical Development. Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) 23 31813992
2020 Long non-coding RNA UCA1 upregulates KIF20A expression to promote cell proliferation and invasion via sponging miR-204 in cervical cancer. Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) 23 32835591
2014 KIF20A regulates porcine oocyte maturation and early embryo development. PloS one 22 25036038
2018 MGMT inhibition in ER positive breast cancer leads to CDC2, TOP2A, AURKB, CDC20, KIF20A, Cyclin A2, Cyclin B2, Cyclin D1, ERα and Survivin inhibition and enhances response to temozolomide. Oncotarget 21 30038716
2015 New MKLP-2 inhibitors in the paprotrain series: Design, synthesis and biological evaluations. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry 21 26778612
2019 KIF20A silence inhibits the migration, invasion and proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer and regulates the JNK pathway. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology 20 31557334
2022 KIF20A promotes the development of fibrosarcoma via PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Experimental cell research 19 36037925
2018 Compound heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in KIF20A are associated with a novel lethal congenital cardiomyopathy in two siblings. PLoS genetics 19 29357359
2021 Inhibition of KIF20A by transcription factor IRF6 affects the progression of renal clear cell carcinoma. Cancer cell international 18 33941190
2018 KIF20A, highly expressed in immature hematopoietic cells, supports the growth of HL60 cell line. International journal of hematology 16 30182171
2013 MKlp2 inhibitor paprotrain affects polar body extrusion during mouse oocyte maturation. Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E 16 24359300
2005 Assay and functional properties of Rabkinesin-6/Rab6-KIFL/MKlp2 in cytokinesis. Methods in enzymology 16 16473625
2024 KIF20A Promotes CRC Progression and the Warburg Effect through the C-Myc/HIF-1α Axis. Protein and peptide letters 14 38037834
2025 A KIF20A-based thermosensitive hydrogel vaccine effectively potentiates immune checkpoint blockade therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. NPJ vaccines 12 39753573
2023 Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 reduces KIF20A expression and promotes CDC25A proteasomal degradation in epithelial ovarian cancer. Journal of ginseng research 12 38223825
2021 Clinical Trial of a Cancer Vaccine Targeting VEGF and KIF20A in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer. Anticancer research 12 33788741
2024 Bulk- and single cell-RNA sequencing reveal KIF20A as a key driver of hepatocellular carcinoma progression and immune evasion. Frontiers in immunology 11 39555078
2020 Knockdown of Kif20a inhibits growth of tumors in soft tissue sarcoma in vitro and in vivo. Journal of Cancer 11 32742456
2019 Inhibition of KIF20A by BKS0349 reduces endometriotic lesions in a xenograft mouse model. Molecular human reproduction 11 31365745
2023 FOXM1/KIF20A axis promotes clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression via regulating EMT signaling and affects immunotherapy response. Heliyon 10 38125441
2022 LncRNA ARAP1-AS1 Promotes Bladder Cancer Development by Regulating the miR-3918/KIF20A Axis. Molecular biotechnology 10 35556220
2022 Integrated Analysis of Transcriptome Data Revealed AURKA and KIF20A as Critical Genes in Medulloblastoma Progression. Frontiers in oncology 10 35574421
2021 Depletion of kinesin motor KIF20A to target cell fate control suppresses medulloblastoma tumour growth. Communications biology 10 33976373
2022 MKLP2 functions in early mitosis to ensure proper chromosome congression. Journal of cell science 9 35638575
2019 Kinesin-6 family motor KIF20A regulates central spindle assembly and acrosome biogenesis in mouse spermatogenesis. Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular cell research 9 31884069
2014 Combinatorial measurement of CDKN1A/p21 and KIF20A expression for discrimination of DNA damage-induced clastogenicity. International journal of molecular sciences 8 25264741
2024 Advancing Cancer Therapy: The Role of KIF20A as a Target for Inhibitor Development and Immunotherapy. Cancers 7 39272816
2024 Role of KIF20A Depletion in Inhibiting Ovarian Cancer Progression: Insights From PTEN and M2 Macrophage Polarization. Discovery medicine 7 39726317
2023 Circ_0084188 Regulates the progression of colorectal cancer through the miR-769-5p/KIF20A axis. Biochemical genetics 7 36763221
2023 Mir-153-3p Modulates the Breast Cancer Cells' Chemosensitivity to Doxorubicin by Targeting KIF20A. Cancers 7 36980610
2023 Nucleotide-free structures of KIF20A illuminate atypical mechanochemistry in this kinesin-6. Open biology 7 37726093
2025 Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by enhancing KIF20A expression. International immunopharmacology 5 40168801
2022 Selective Recognition of Phosphatidylinositol Phosphate Receptors by C-Terminal Tail of Mitotic Kinesin-like Protein 2 (MKlp2). The journal of physical chemistry. B 5 35316051
2025 Hypoxia Triggers ALYREF-Mediated m5C Methylation of KIF20A to Activate KIF20A/BUB1 for Generating Ferroptosis Resistance in Cervical Cancer Cells. The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences 4 40914946
2024 KIF20A activated by transcription factor GATA2 promotes cell growth in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 4 39624268
2023 Grade scoring system reveals distinct molecular subtypes and identifies KIF20A as a novel biomarker for predicting temozolomide treatment efficiency in gliomas. Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology 4 37248320
2023 KIF20A as a potential biomarker of renal and bladder cancers based on bioinformatics and experimental verification. Aging 4 37310408
2022 Inhibition of KIF20A suppresses the replication of influenza A virus by inhibiting viral entry. Journal of microbiology (Seoul, Korea) 4 36318360
2024 Fluspirilene exerts an anti-glioblastoma effect through suppression of the FOXM1-KIF20A axis. Neoplasma 3 39267533
2025 Macrophage Polarization-Based Analysis of the Role of the FOXM1/KIF20A Axis in Breast Cancer Metastasis. Cell biochemistry and biophysics 2 40295357
2024 Cucurbitacin B Inhibits the Malignancy of Esophageal Carcinoma through the KIF20A/JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway. The American journal of Chinese medicine 2 38291583
2023 Upregulation of the key biomarker kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) is associated with pulmonary artery hypertension. Genomics 2 37703933
2026 SYMPK interacts with KIF20A and NUMA1 to coordinate spindle organization and safeguard oocyte meiotic maturation. Journal of genetics and genomics = Yi chuan xue bao 1 41520922
2025 KIF20A promotes triple-negative breast cancer progression via activation of the IL-17 signaling pathway. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 1 40393105
2025 KIF20A as a driver of anti-PD-1 resistance via PD-L1 downregulation in NSCLC: a biomarker validation and tumor microenvironment analysis. BMC cancer 1 41267030
2026 Targeting KIF20A: a new frontier in cancer treatment revealed by multi-omics analysis. Frontiers in immunology 0 41646843
2026 KIF20A inhibits TRIM21-dependent ubiquitination of DHX9 to boost SOX2 stability, enhancing OSCC stemness and ferroptosis resistance. Cell death & disease 0 41672965
2026 KIF20A suppresses ferroptosis in HCC through HMOX1/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway. Discover oncology 0 41701424
2026 KIF20A drives epithelial cell proliferation and migration in gastric adenocarcinoma, facilitating macrophage M2 polarization and subsequent immune evasion. International journal of biological macromolecules 0 41713545
2026 FOXK1 induced upregulation of KIF20A promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via Wnt/β-Catenin/EMT signaling. Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 0 41714472
2026 KIF20A promotes cervical cancer progression by interacting with CLIP1. Scientific reports 0 41776329
2026 Lactate drives immune resistance via a pharmaceutically reversible H3K18la-KIF20A-c-Myc-PD-L1 axis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer biology & medicine 0 41937416
2026 Targeting KIF20A blocks lactylation modification to suppress immune escape in hepatocellular carcinoma. iScience 0 41952973
2026 Kinesin KIF20A Regulated by ATF2 Transcription Promotes Prostate Cancer Proliferation and Invasion. Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition) 0 42216528
2025 An Auxin Inducible Degradation System to Study Mklp2 Functions in MDCK Epithelial Cells. Biology of the cell 0 40490973
2025 DEPDC1 facilitated malignant phenotypes and disease progression of liposarcoma by modulating KIF20A. Frontiers in endocrinology 0 40600015
2025 Crotonoside exerts anti-colorectal cancer effects by suppressing KIF20A to regulate the cell cycle. Scientific reports 0 41266758
2024 CBX3 contributes to pancreatic adenocarcinoma progression via promoting KIF20A expression. Cytotechnology 0 39735331
2020 Spindle Orientation-Independent Control of Cell Fate Determination by RGS3 and KIF20A. Cerebral cortex communications 0 32864611
2003 The kinesin superfamily protein Rab6KIFL is not involved in the pathophysiology of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4C. International journal of molecular medicine 0 12469216

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