KIF17 is a kinesin-2 motor protein with diverse cellular functions spanning intracellular transport, ciliary biology, and cytoskeletal regulation. As a microtubule-based motor, KIF17 functions in anterograde transport of NMDA receptor subunits, particularly NR2B, along dendrites in association with scaffolding proteins 1. In ciliary contexts, KIF17 participates in intraflagellar transport and contributes to ciliary compartment organization, with CDKL-1 kinase influencing its distribution within the proximal ciliary segment 2. KIF17 also regulates photoreceptor outer segment turnover through phosphorylation-dependent mechanisms, where CaMKII phosphorylation enhances its ciliary localization and promotes disc shedding essential for photoreceptor maintenance 3. Beyond transport functions, KIF17 exhibits microtubule-independent roles in cytoskeletal regulation, modulating RhoA-dependent actin remodeling at epithelial cell-cell adhesions and maintaining junctional stability 4. In cancer biology, KIF17 acts as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer, maintaining epithelial phenotype and inhibiting metastasis through microtubule acetylation and cytoskeletal stabilization 5. Clinical relevance includes associations with pediatric speech disorders and potential roles in placental pathologies 67. The protein's expression is regulated by DNA methylation in cancer contexts, suggesting therapeutic potential through epigenetic modulation.