One of the key
components regulating the initiation and passage through mitosis is the serine/threonine-specific protein kinase,
p34(cdc2/CDC28). There exists an extended gene family encoding a large number of different cdc2-related
serine/threonine-specific protein kinases. The PCTAIRE protein kinases comprise a distinct subfamily of these kinases
and are so named for the presence of a cysteine-for-serine substitution in the conserved PSTAIRE amino acid motif
found in prototypic cdc2 kinases. Three members of this kinase subfamily, PCTAIRE 1-3, were identified in humans.
NCBI Summary:
The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the cdc2/cdkx subfamily of the ser/thr family of protein kinases. It may play a role in signal transduction cascades in terminally differentiated cells. This gene is thought to escape X inactivation. There are three alternatively spliced transcript variants described for this gene.
General function
Cell cycle regulation
Comment
Cellular localization
Cytoplasmic
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Ovarian function
Follicle development, Oogenesis
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Expression regulated by
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Ovarian localization
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Yang et al isolated a novel member of putative Cdc2-related serine/threonine protein
kinases from a Hela cell cDNA library. The cDNA encodes a protein of 469
amino acids, sharing 95% identities with the mouse PFTAIRE1 throughout the
entire protein sequence. The hPFTAIRE1 was highly expressed in brain,
pancreas, kidney, heart, testis and ovary. The protein was fused to the C-terminus of a green fluorescent
protein (GFP) and ectopically expressed in Hela cells. The florescence
microscope results indicated that the hPFTAIRE1 exhibits cytoplasmic
distribution.
Follicle stages
Comment
Rhee K, et al 1995 reported that Cdk family genes are expressed not only in dividing but also in
terminally differentiated mouse germ cells, suggesting their
possible function during both cell division and differentiation.
The roles of the cyclin dependent kinase (Cdk) family in murine germ cell
development have been examined by studying the expression of five Cdk family
genes (Cdc2, Cdk2, Cdk4, Pctaire-1, and Pctaire-3) in mouse reproductive
organs. Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses revealed distinctive
expression patterns of these genes with striking cellular, lineage, and
developmental stage specificity. Cdc2 and Cdk2 were expressed in premeiotic spermatocytes in
the testis, and Cdc2, Cdk2, and Cdk4 expressed in granulosa cells of ovarian
follicles. With regard to Pctaire-1 and Pctaire-3, the
highest levels of expression were observed in postmeiotic spermatids.
Immunoblot analysis also revealed the presence of high levels of Pctaire-1 in
postmeiotic germ cells. These results suggest that Cdk family kinases may exhibit
various functions in germinal and somatic cells during gametogenesis, not only in
the cell cycle but also in other regulatory processes, including differentiation.