Significant analysis of the association of the TACCs with the centrosome and the dynamics of mitotic spindle assembly from yeast to humans has been published [5,6,21-24]. From this analysis, it seems likely that the vertebrate TACC3 protein has retained this direct ancestral function, based upon its location in these structures during mitosis [27], its strong interaction with Aurora Kinase A, and the observation that it is the only human TACC protein phosphorylated by this enzyme [21]. However, the variability of the central domain of the vertebrate orthologues, suggests that TACC3 may also have acquired additional, and in some instances, species-specific functions. For instance, in X. laevis, the maskin protein has acquired a binding site for the eIF4E protein, and thus a function in the coordinated control of polyadenylation and translation in the Xenopus oocyte [8,35]. A recent study has suggested that this function may be unique to maskin: although it is unclear whether the other vertebrate TACC3 proteins interact with the eIF4E/CPEB complex, the human TACC1A isoform is unable to interact with the eIF4E/CPEB complex. Instead, some TACC1 isoforms have evolved a related, but distinct function by directly interacting with elements of the RNA splicing and transport machinery [19].