An interphase pool of KIF11 localizes at the basal bodies of primary cilia and a reduction in KIF11 expression alters cilia dynamics

KIF11 is a homotetrameric kinesin that peaks in protein expression during mitosis. It is a known mitotic regulator, and it is well-described that KIF11 is necessary for the formation and maintenance of the bipolar spindle. However, there has been a growing appreciation for non-mitotic roles for KIF11. KIF11 has been shown to function in such processes as axon growth and microtubule polymerization. We previously demonstrated that there is an interphase pool of KIF11 present in glioblastoma cancer stem cells that drives tumor cell invasion. Here, we identified a previously unknown association between KIF11 and primary cilia. We confirmed that KIF11 localized to the basal bodies of primary cilia in multiple cell types, including neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells. Further, we determined that KIF11 has a role in regulating cilia dynamics. Upon the reduction of KIF11 expression, the number of ciliated cells in asynchronously growing populations was significantly increased. We rescued this effect by the addition of exogenous KIF11. Lastly, we found that depleting KIF11 resulted in an increase in cilium length and an attenuation in the kinetics of cilia disassembly. These findings establish a previously unknown link between KIF11 and the dynamics of primary cilia and further support non-mitotic functions for this kinesin.