Kinesins are microtubule (MT)‐based motors involved in various cellular functions including intracellular transport of vesicles and organelles, and dynamics of chromosomes during cell division. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe expresses nine kinesin‐like proteins (klps). Klp8 is one of them and has not been characterized yet though it has been reported to localize at the division site. Here, we studied function and localization of Klp8 in S. pombe cells. The gene klp8⁺ was not essential for both viability and cytoskeletal organization. Klp8‐YFP was concentrated as medial cortical dots during interphase, and organized into a ring at the division site during mitosis. The Klp8 ring seemed to be localized in the space between the actomyosin contractile ring and the plasma membrane. The Klp8 ring shrank as cytokinesis proceeded. In klp8‐deleted (Δ) cells, the speed of spindle elongation during anaphase B was slowed down. Overproduction of Klp8 caused bent or elongated cells, in which MTs were abnormally elongated and less dynamic than those in normal cells. Deletion of klp8⁺ gene suppressed the delay in mitotic entry in blt1Δ cells. These results suggest that Klp8 is involved in mitosis and cell morphology through MT stabilization.

中文翻译：

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独特的驱动蛋白样蛋白Klp8通过微管稳定作用参与有丝分裂和细胞形态。

驱动蛋白是基于微管（MT）的马达，参与​​多种细胞功能，包括囊泡和细胞器的细胞内运输以及细胞分裂过程中的染色体动力学。裂殖酵母粟酒裂殖酵母表达9种驱动蛋白样蛋白（klps）。Klp8是其中之一，尽管据报道它位于分裂位点，但尚未鉴定。在这里，我们研究了Klp8在粟酒裂殖酵母细胞中的功能和定位。基因klp8 ⁺对于生存力和细胞骨架组织而言并非必需。Klp8-YFP在相间集中为内侧皮质点，并在有丝分裂期间在分裂部位组织成环。Klp8环似乎位于放线菌素收缩环和质膜之间的空间。随着细胞分裂的进行，Klp8环收缩。在klp8缺失（Δ）细胞中，后期B期间纺锤体伸长的速度减慢了。Klp8的过度生产导致弯曲或拉长的细胞，其中MTs异常拉长且动态性低于正常细胞。的缺失klp8 ⁺基因抑制在进入有丝分裂延迟blt1Δ细胞。这些结果表明Klp8通过MT稳定参与有丝分裂和细胞形态。