Role of Plk2 (Snk) in Mouse Development and Cell Proliferation

Abstract

Plk2 (Snk) is a polo-like kinase expressed at G₁ in cultured cells and mainly in the hippocampal neurons in the brains of adult rodents, but its function is poorly understood. We have generated mice deficient in Plk2 by gene targeting. Although Plk2 is not required for postnatal growth, Plk2^−/− embryos show retarded growth and skeletal development late in gestation. The labyrinthine zone of the placenta is diminished in Plk2^−/− embryos due to decreased cell proliferation. Cultured Plk2^−/− embryonic fibroblasts grow more slowly than normal cells and show delayed entry into S phase. These data suggest a role for Plk2 in the cell cycle.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Philip Leder for the gift of TC1 ES cells. We are grateful to Andrew and Jill McMahon for valuable suggestions and permission to use their facilities. Technical expertise provided by Fanxin Long and Diane Faria is greatly appreciated. We are also indebted to Thomas Benjamin, John Carroll, and Ron Brownson for histological analysis of tissues of adult mice. Critical reading and editing of the manuscript by Eleanor Erikson are highly appreciated.

This work is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (GM59172) to R.L.E.