title: Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK): a novel regulator in cell cycle control, embryonic development, and cancer.
abstract: Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) functions as a modulator of intracellular signaling and affects various cellular and biological processes, including cell cycle, cell proliferation, apoptosis, spliceosome assembly, gene expression, embryonic development, hematopoiesis, and oncogenesis. In these cellular processes, MELK functions by binding to numerous proteins. In general, the effects of multiple protein interactions with MELK are oncogenic in nature, and the overexpression of MELK in kinds of cancer provides some evidence that it may be involved in tumorigenic process. In this review, our current knowledge of MELK function and recent discoveries in MELK signaling pathway were discussed. The regulation of MELK in cancers and its potential as a therapeutic target were also described.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Virology, Immunology & Bioinformatics, Division of Veterinary Microbiology & Virology, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China. zhangdeli@tsinghua.org.cn.
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Deli
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D017381:Spliceosomes / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C484610:MELK protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases