Mukai and Ono (1994)
isolated a cDNA for a protein kinase, designated PKN by them, from a human cDNA library. The putative 942-amino acid protein has leucine zipper-like sequences at its amino terminus and contains a domain with strong similarity to that of the protein kinase C family. Ubiquitous expression in human tissues was shown. Antisera detected a 120-kD recombinantly expressed protein on Western blots.
General function
Intracellular signaling cascade
Comment
Cellular localization
Comment
Ovarian function
Unknown
Comment
Phosphorylation of histone H3 on Ser10 by auto-phosphorylated PAK1 is not essential for chromatin condensation and meiotic progression in porcine oocytes. Wang BY et al. BACKGROUND: The p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) is essential for mitosis and plays an important role in the regulation of microtubule assembly during oocyte meiotic maturation in mice; however, little is known about its role in porcine oocytes.Result: Total p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) and phosphorylated PAK1 at Thr423 (PAK1Thr423) were consistently expressed in porcine oocytes from the germinal vesicle (GV) to the second metaphase (MII) stages, but phosphorylation of histone H3 at Ser10 (H3Ser10) was only expressed after the GV stage. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that PAK1Thr423 and H3Ser10 colocalized on chromosomes after the GV stage. Blocking of endogenous PAK1Thr423 by injecting a specific antibody decreased the phosphorylation level of H3Ser10; however, it had no impact on chromatin condensation, meiotic progression, cleavage rate of blastomeres or the rate of blastocyst formation. CONCLUSION: Phosphorylation of PAK1Thr423 is a spontaneous activation process and the activated PAK1Thr423 can promote the phosphorylation of H3Ser10; however, this pathway is not required for meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes or early embryonic development.
Expression regulated by
Comment
Ovarian localization
Oocyte
Comment
This gene was found in a rat ovarian cDNA library (Unigene)