Required to form a bipolar spindle, the actin ring and septum. Functions upstream of the whole septum formation pathway, including actin ring formation (regulated by late septation genes) and septal material deposition (regulated by early septation genes). Behaves as a 'septum-promoting factor', and could also be involved in inducing other late events of cell division (PubMed:12615979, PubMed:12815070, PubMed:7744248). Together with moa1, acts as a regulator of kinetochore function during meiosis I: required both for mono-orientation of kinetochores on sister chromosomes and protection of centromeric cohesin from separase-mediated cleavage (PubMed:25533956). ATP + L-seryl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-seryl-[protein] ATP + L-threonyl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-threonyl-[protein] Interacts with abp2, cut12, cut23, dmf1, sck1, sid4, spac1006.03c, spac6b12.08, spac26h5.05 and sum1. Interacts with moa1 (PubMed:25533956). Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. Ser/Thr protein kinase family. CDC5/Polo subfamily.