This family contains KIAA1549 from human (Swiss:Q9HCM3) which has been implicated in pilocytic astrocytomas [1-3]. It has been found to be fused to BRAF gene in many cases of pilocytic astrocytomas. The fusion is due mainly to a tandem duplication of 2 Mb at 7q34 [1-2]. The BRAF protein is a well characterised oncoprotein. It is a serine/threonine protein kinase which is implicated in MAP/ERK signalling, a critical pathway for the regulation of cell division, differentiation and secretion [1-3]. More recently, KIAA1549 has been described to play a role in photoreceptor function [4].

1: Tandem duplication producing a novel oncogenic BRAF fusion gene defines the majority of pilocytic astrocytomas. Jones DT, Kocialkowski S, Liu L, Pearson DM, Backlund LM, Ichimura K, Collins VP; Cancer Res. 2008;68:8673-8677. PMID:18974108

2: Oncogenic RAF1 rearrangement and a novel BRAF mutation as alternatives to KIAA1549:BRAF fusion in activating the MAPK pathway in pilocytic astrocytoma. Jones DT, Kocialkowski S, Liu L, Pearson DM, Ichimura K, Collins VP; Oncogene. 2009;28:2119-2123. PMID:19363522

3: MAPK pathway activation and the origins of pediatric low-grade astrocytomas. Tatevossian RG, Lawson AR, Forshew T, Hindley GF, Ellison DW, Sheer D; J Cell Physiol. 2010;222:509-514. PMID:19937730

4: Homozygous variants in KIAA1549, encoding a ciliary protein, are associated with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa. de Bruijn SE, Verbakel SK, de Vrieze E, Kremer H, Cremers FPM, Hoyng CB, van den Born LI, Roosing S; J Med Genet. 2018;55:705-712. PMID:30120214