Never In Mitosis Gene A Related Kinase 4 (NEK4)

In Aspergillus nidulans, lack of the serine/threonine kinase NimA (never in mitosis A) results in cell cycle arrest in G2, while overexpression causes the premature onset of mitotic events. Levedakou et al. (1994) used degenerate PCR to clone a novel serine/threonine protein kinase, termed STK2, from a human breast carcinoma cell line. The gene encodes an 841-amino acid polypeptide. Northern blot analysis revealed that the STK2 gene is expressed as 2 mRNAs of 4.0 kb and 6.8 kb in heart and several other tissues. Levedakou et al. (1994) noted that levels of STK2 mRNA remain invariant throughout the cell cycle. By PCR amplification on DNA from a panel of monochromosomal human-rodent hybrids, Levedakou et al. (1994) mapped the NEK4 gene to chromosome 3p21.1.