title: Identification and cloning of a protein kinase-encoding mouse gene, Plk, related to the polo gene of Drosophila.
abstract: We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding a protein kinase that is closely related to the enzyme encoded by the Drosophila melanogaster mutant polo and that we have designated Plk (polo-like kinase). Plk is also related to the products of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle gene MSD2 (CDC5) and the recently described early growth response gene Snk. Together, Plk, polo, Snk, and MSD2 define a subfamily of serine/threonine protein kinases. Plk is expressed at high levels in a number of fetal and newborn mouse tissues but is not expressed in the corresponding adult organs. With the exception of adult hemopoietic tissues, the only adult tissues in which we could detect Plk expression were ovaries and testes. Taken together, the patterns of Plk expression suggest an association with proliferating cells. Since polo is required for mitosis in Drosophila it is possible that Plk is involved in some aspect of cell cycle regulation in mammalian cells.
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Tumour Biology Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, PO Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Clay
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McEwen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bertoncello
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Wilks
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dunn
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000201:enzymology; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D005333:Fetus; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010802:Phylogeny; D011061:Poly A / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011061:Poly A; D004247:DNA; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases