Eukaryotes contain a superfamily of microtubule-based motor proteins comprising
Kinesin and a number of related proteins that are thought to participate
in various forms of intracellular motility, including cell division and
organelle transport. Eg5 (also known as Kinesin-like protein KIF11 or TRIP5) is
a slow, plus-end-directed microtubule-based motor of the BimC kinesin family
that is essential for bipolar spindle formation during eukaryotic cell division.
When the expression of Eg5 is blocked, centrosome migration halts and cells
are arrested in mitosis with monoastral microtubule arrays. Eg5 is phosphorylated
on serine during S phase and on both serine and Thr 927 during mitosis,
which regulates the association of Eg5 with the spindle apparatus (probably
during early prophase). Eg5 is also known to be a member of the thyroid receptor
interacting protein (TRIP) family, and interacts with the thyroid hormone
receptor only in the presence of thyroid hormone.