In higher eukaryotes these kinases have roles in the regulation of many processes, such as tumor suppression, proto-oncogenic activity, apoptosis, centrosome duplication and neuronal differentiation.
In one experiment, anti-katanin antibodies were injected into a cell, causing a large accumulation of microtubules around the centrosome and inhibition of microtubule outgrowth.
A number of "nonkinetochore microtubules" find and interact with corresponding nonkinetochore microtubules from the opposite centrosome to form the mitotic spindle.