NEK7, Active

Nek7 is a member of the NIMA (never in mitosis, gene A) family of serine/threonine kinases. In contrast to the other documented NIMA-related kinases, Nek7 harbor its catalytic domain in the C-terminus of the protein. Immunofluorescence studies suggest that Nek7 is cytoplasmic and located on chromosome 1 (1). During early embryogenesis Nek7 is expressed in the site of decidual reaction while later in embryogenesis, it is almost exclusively restricted to the nervous system in the dorsal thalamus (2). The major protein kinase that is active on the p70 S6 kinase hydrophobic regulatory site (FXXFS/TF/Y) Thr412 was purified from rat liver and identified as Nek7 (3). Nek7 kinase activity is rapidly and efficiently increased by serum deprivation, and may be regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner.