Clarification of the function and regulation of the rheostat molecule NLK, which fine-tunes the activity strength of signal transduction.

NLK是一种进化上保守的蛋白激酶，它可以微调各种信号转导系统的活性强度。在这项研究中，我们发现NLK通过磷酸化神经祖细胞中的转录因子Lef1来增强Wnt信号活性，这种调节有助于脊椎动物脑组织的大小扩张。我们还发现NLK通过其自磷酸化激活，DP1蛋白抑制NLK活性。因此，我们揭示了NLK的新功能和规律。

NLK is an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase, which fine-tunes the activity strength of various signal transduction systems. In this study, we discovered that NLK strengthen Wnt signaling activity by phosphorylating a transcription factor Lef1 in neural progenitor cells and this regulation contributes to the size expansion of vertebrate brain tissues. We also found that NLK autoactivates via its autophosphorylation and that DP1 protein inhibits NLK activity. Thus, we revealed new functions and regulations of NLK.