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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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KIF21B
kinesin family member 21B
Chromosome 1 · 1q32.1
NCBI Gene: 23046Ensembl: ENSG00000116852.15HGNC: HGNC:29442UniProt: O75037
48PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
microtubule motor activitymicrotubule bindingATP hydrolysis activitymicrotubule-based movementmicrocephalyGlobal developmental delayIntellectual disabilityAbnormal brain morphology
✦AI Summary

KIF21B is a plus-end-directed processive kinesin motor protein that regulates microtubule dynamics and neuronal morphology 1. It controls microtubule growth rate and catastrophe frequency, restricting microtubule length and enabling rapid cytoskeletal remodeling in neurons and T cells 12. KIF21B is essential for dendritic arbor complexity, dendritic spine formation, and synaptic transmission 1. It facilitates GABA(A) receptor trafficking and is critical for learning and memory; Kif21b-null mice exhibit cognitive deficits 1. Functionally, KIF21B maintains its activity through autoinhibition mechanisms; disruption of this autoregulation causes pathogenic effects 3. Dysregulation of KIF21B associates with multiple neurological and developmental disorders. Missense variants and duplications cause neurodevelopmental disorders with brain malformations including corpus callosum agenesis and microcephaly through impaired neuronal migration and axonal growth 3. KIF21B variants were identified as novel candidate genes for late-onset Parkinson's disease 45. Elevated KIF21B expression correlates with accelerated neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis 6. Additionally, KIF21B variants are associated with ocular congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders 7. In osteosarcoma, KIF21B upregulation promotes cell proliferation through the PI3K/AKT pathway 8.

Sources cited
1
KIF21B is a processive motor protein regulating microtubule dynamics, essential for dendritic complexity, spine density, synaptic transmission, and learning/memory
PMID: 27117409
2
KIF21B restricts microtubule length by inducing pausing and catastrophe, critical for centrosome polarization
PMID: 33346730
3
KIF21B variants impair autoinhibition causing neurodevelopmental disorders with corpus callosum agenesis and microcephaly through defects in neuronal migration and axonal growth
PMID: 32415109
4
KIF21B identified as novel candidate gene for late-onset Parkinson's disease with excess of deleterious variants in affected individuals
PMID: 34148545
5
KIF21B listed among newly reported PD-related genes with putative pathogenic mutations
PMID: 37222843
6
Abundant KIF21B expression associated with accelerated neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis
PMID: 25274010
7
KIF21B variants identified in ocular congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders
PMID: 39033378
8
KIF21B upregulation in osteosarcoma promotes cell proliferation and apoptosis inhibition through PI3K/AKT pathway
PMID: 33585227
Disease Associationsⓘ20
microcephalyOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
Global developmental delayOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
Intellectual disabilityOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
Abnormal brain morphologyOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
Neurodevelopmental disorderOpen Targets
0.36Weak
ulcerative colitisOpen Targets
0.35Weak
CachexiaOpen Targets
0.32Weak
ankylosing spondylitisOpen Targets
0.32Weak
autoimmune diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
brain aneurysmOpen Targets
0.28Weak
smoking initiationOpen Targets
0.26Weak
lobe attachmentOpen Targets
0.17Weak
skin cancerOpen Targets
0.16Weak
basal cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.16Weak
schizophreniaOpen Targets
0.15Weak
Prolonged QT intervalOpen Targets
0.14Weak
inflammatory bowel diseaseOpen Targets
0.13Weak
Crohn's diseaseOpen Targets
0.12Weak
Moderate global developmental delayOpen Targets
0.12Weak
PachygyriaOpen Targets
0.12Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
KIF3CShared pathway100%DYNLT2Shared pathway100%DYNLT4Shared pathway100%KIF6Shared pathway100%DYNLT5Shared pathway100%KIF19Shared pathway100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Brain
13%
Lung
4%
Liver
2%
Heart
1%
Ovary
1%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
KIF21BKIF3CDYNLT2DYNLT4KIF6DYNLT5KIF19
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt O75037
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.53Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.44 [0.37–0.53]
RankingsWhere KIF21B stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #9,093of 20,598
    Most Researched48
  • #3,295of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.53 · top quartile
Genes detectedKIF21B
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Identification of sixteen novel candidate genes for late onset Parkinson's disease.
PMID: 34148545
Mol Neurodegener · 2021
1.00
2
Recent advances in novel mutation genes of Parkinson's disease.
PMID: 37222843
J Neurol · 2023
0.90
3
Mutations in the KIF21B kinesin gene cause neurodevelopmental disorders through imbalanced canonical motor activity.
PMID: 32415109
Nat Commun · 2020
0.80
4
Expanding the genetics and phenotypes of ocular congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders.
PMID: 39033378
Genet Med · 2025
0.70
5
KIF21B Expression in Osteosarcoma and Its Regulatory Effect on Osteosarcoma Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis Through the PI3K/AKT Pathway.
PMID: 33585227
Front Oncol · 2020
0.60