Serine/Threonine Kinase 38 (STK38)

Using degenerate PCR primers corresponding to sequences of fly and worm serine/threonine kinases to amplify human cDNAs, followed by screening several cDNA libraries, Millward et al. (1995) isolated a cDNA encoding STK38, which they called nuclear Dbf2 (yeast)-related protein, or NDR. The deduced 465-amino acid protein, which is 68% identical to the fly protein, contains 12 protein kinase catalytic subdomains and a potential bipartite nuclear localization signal. Northern blot analysis revealed expression of a 3.9-kb transcript in all tissues tested, with the possible exception of adult brain. Highest expression was in peripheral blood leukocytes. Immunoblot and immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated predominantly nuclear expression of a 55-kD protein.