Alternative titles; symbols
HGNC Approved Gene Symbol: NEK3
Cytogenetic location: 13q14.3 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38) : 13:52,132,647-52,159,860 (from NCBI)
In Aspergillus nidulans, lack of the protein-serine/threonine kinase nimA (never in mitosis A) results in cell cycle arrest in G2, while overexpression causes the premature onset of mitotic events. Schultz and Nigg (1993) isolated partial cDNAs representing 41 distinct protein kinases, including NEK3 and 2 other nimA-related kinases. See NEK2 (604043). Schultz et al. (1994) isolated additional NEK3 cDNAs corresponding to most of the coding region.
Tanaka and Nigg (1999) isolated a mouse Nek3 cDNA encoding the entire Nek3 protein. The predicted 511-amino acid mouse protein is 74% identical to the partial human NEK3 polypeptide. The authors found that Nek3 differs from Nek1 and Nek2 in its expression pattern, its lack of cell cycle regulation of expression and activity, and its predominantly cytoplasmic localization.
Using primers based on the partial NEK3 sequence and the sequence of an EST, Kimura and Okano (2001) cloned a full-length NEK3 cDNA by PCR amplification of a HeLa cell library. The deduced 489-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of 56 kD and contains 12 conserved regions characteristic of a protein kinase catalytic domain. A DIKSAN motif in subdomain VI suggests that it has serine-threonine kinase activity. Human NEK3 shares 71% and 31% sequence identity with mouse Nek3 and Aspergillus Nima, respectively. The noncatalytic C terminus shares 56% identity with the mouse protein, but not with other NIMA-related kinases. By RT-PCR of several tissues, Kimura and Okano (2001) determined that NEK3 is expressed at low levels in most tissues, with high levels in testis, ovary, and brain. RT-PCR analysis of synchronized HeLa cells indicated that the amount of NEK3 mRNA does not change during the cell cycle, consistent with results obtained in mouse.
By somatic cell hybrid and radiation hybrid analyses, Kimura and Okano (2001) mapped the NEK3 gene to chromosome 13q14.2.
Kimura, M., Okano, Y. Molecular cloning and characterization of the human NIMA-related protein kinase 3 gene (NEK3). Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 95: 177-182, 2001. [PubMed: 12063396] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1159/000059342]
Schultz, S. J., Fry, A. M., Sutterlin, C., Ried, T., Nigg, E. A. Cell cycle-dependent expression of Nek2, a novel human protein kinase related to the NIMA mitotic regulator of Aspergillus nidulans. Cell Growth Diff. 5: 625-635, 1994. [PubMed: 7522034]
Schultz, S. J., Nigg, E. A. Identification of 21 novel human protein kinases, including 3 members of a family related to the cell cycle regulator nimA of Aspergillus nidulans. Cell Growth Diff. 4: 821-830, 1993. [PubMed: 8274451]
Tanaka, K., Nigg, E. A. Cloning and characterization of the murine Nek3 protein kinase, a novel member of the NIMA family of putative cell cycle regulators. J. Biol. Chem. 274: 13491-13497, 1999. [PubMed: 10224116] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.274.19.13491]