CDC Like Kinase 4 (CLK4)

CLK4 belongs to the CDC2-like protein kinase (CLK) family. This protein kinase can interact with and phosphorylate the serine- and arginine-rich (SR) proteins, which are known to play an important role in the formation of spliceosomes, and thus may be involved in the regulation of alternative splicing.

The deduced 481-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of about 54 kD. CLK4 shares 97% identity with murine Clk4. Northern blot analysis detected 4 transcripts that ranged from about 2.0 to 4.5 kb. Strongest expression was in liver, kidney, heart, skeletal muscle, and brain. All 4 transcripts were expressed evenly in kidney and liver, while the 2.8-kb transcript predominated in heart and skeletal muscle. Analysis of a multiple tissue expression array showed CLK4 expression in all samples tested.