We previously reported the involvement of QN1 (quail neuroretina 1) protein in cell cycle control during retinal development. We show here that QN1 is an ATPase conserved through evolution, from fugu to humans. We show that chicken/quail QN1 protein is orthologous to the KIAA1009 protein in humans, the function of which was not known. We demonstrate here for the first time that QN1/KIAA1009 protein is located at the spindle poles of the mitotic apparatus and at centrosomes during mitosis. The siRNA-mediated depletion of KIAA1009 led to abnormal mitosis with chromosome segregation defects and abnormal centrosome separation leading to the death of PC12 and MCF7 cells. Thus, QN1/KIAA1009 is a new microtubule-associated ATPase involved in cell division.

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