PLK3 (Polo-Like Kinase 3) is a serine/threonine kinase involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA damage response, and cellular stress responses. While primarily studied in cancer biology, PLK3 has emerging roles in neuronal survival and neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis[1].
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Gene Symbol | PLK3 |
| Gene Name | Polo-Like Kinase 3 |
| Aliases | CNK3, PRPK |
| Chromosomal Location | 6p12.3 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 9133 |
| UniProt ID | Q9H8S3 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000176287 |
| Gene Type | Protein Coding |
PLK3 contains key regulatory domains:
The polo box domain is involved in substrate recognition and cellular localization[2].
PLK3 performs multiple critical cellular functions:
PLK3 responds to various cellular stresses:
Essential for mitotic spindle formation:
PLK3 is expressed in various tissues:
In neurons, PLK3 participates in:
Neurons are particularly vulnerable to DNA damage:
Aberrant cell cycle activity in neurons is pathological:
PLK3 may be relevant to PD through:
| Disease | Evidence Level | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Confirmed | Cell proliferation |
| Neurodegeneration | Moderate | DNA damage, cell cycle |
| Stroke | Moderate | Ischemic injury response |
PLK3 interacts with key regulatory proteins:
| Protein | Interaction Type | Functional Role |
|---|---|---|
| p53 | Phosphorylation | DNA damage response |
| Chk2 | Kinase | Checkpoint activation |
| Centrosomal proteins | Localization | Spindle formation |
PLK3 represents a potential therapeutic target:
Xie W et al. Polo-like kinase 3 functions in DNA damage response. 2002. ↩︎
Liu X et al. Polo-like kinases in cell cycle regulation. 2007. ↩︎