Kinesin Family, Member 4B (KIF4B)

By searching databases for sequences similar to mouse Kif4 (KIF4A), followed by PCR and screening a HeLa cell cDNA library, Oh et al. (2000) cloned KIF4B.Oh et al. (2000) determined that KIF4B is an intronless gene, and they suggested that it may be a processed pseudogene of KIF4A.By FISH, Ha et al. (2000) mapped the KIF4B gene to chromosome 5q33.1.Kinesins are a class of motor proteins found in eukaryotic cells. Kinesins move along microtubule cables powered by the hydrolysis of ATP (thus kinesins are ATPases). The active movement of kinesins supports several cellular functions including mitosis, meiosis and transport of cargo such as axonal transport. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that KIF27, Kif7, KIF4A, KIF4B and KIF21A constitute the KIF27 subfamily among mammalian Kinesin family.