title: WNK Kinases in Development and Disease.
abstract: WNK (With-No-Lysine (K)) kinases are serine-threonine kinases characterized by an atypical placement of a catalytic lysine within the kinase domain. Mutations in human WNK1 or WNK4 cause an autosomal dominant syndrome of hypertension and hyperkalemia, reflecting the fact that WNK kinases are critical regulators of renal ion transport processes. Here, the role of WNKs in the regulation of ion transport processes in vertebrate and invertebrate renal function, cellular and organismal osmoregulation, and cell migration and cerebral edema will be reviewed, along with emerging literature demonstrating roles for WNKs in cardiovascular and neural development, Wnt signaling, and cancer. Conserved roles for these kinases across phyla are emphasized.
authors.affiliation: UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, United States. Electronic address: aylin.rodan@hsc.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Aylin R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rodan
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States. Electronic address: andreas.jenny@einstein.yu.edu.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jenny
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004194:Disease; D047108:Embryonic Development; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: Blood pressure; C. elegans; Drosophila; Excretory canal; Kidney; Lhx8; Malpighian tubule; Mo25/Cab39; SPAK/OSR1; Wnt signaling; Zebrafish