NLK
protein-codingnemo like kinase
Gene summary
Enables DNA-binding transcription factor binding activity; protein serine/threonine kinase activity; and ubiquitin protein ligase binding activity. Involved in several processes, including negative regulation of TORC1 signaling; protein stabilization; and transforming growth factor beta receptor signaling pathway. Predicted to be located in cytosol and nucleoplasm. Predicted to be active in cytoplasm and nucleus. [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Jul 2025]
MANE transcript
Inheritance
ClinVar variants
Top phenotype
gnomAD constraint
Max pathogenic AF
Genomic locus
External References & Databases
Transcript & Mutation Effects
hg38 • Region Span ~154.6 kbGenCC Phenotypes & Disease Associations
Curated gene-disease validity assertions and inheritance patterns
No GenCC data available for this gene.
ClinVar Associated Diseases & Phenotypes
Reported disease conditions connected to NLK variants in ClinVar
ClinVar Variants & Pathogenicity by Type
Statistics based on transcript NM_016231.5. Only rare variants are included.
We include only reliable ClinVar variants with their consequences to MANE Select, MANE Plus Clinical transcripts, or transcripts with TSL equal to 1. Click a count to filter the variants table below.
Slight differences between displayed counts and ClinVar may occur due to a different transcript/consequence chosen by our variant effect predictor, or because we classify Benign/Likely benign as Likely benign and Pathogenic/Likely pathogenic as Likely pathogenic.
| Effect | PathogenicP | Likely pathogenicLP | VUS | Likely benignLB | BenignB | Sum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| synonymous | 0 | |||||
| missense | 35 | 35 | ||||
| nonsense | 1 | 1 | ||||
| start loss | 0 | |||||
| frameshift | 2 | 2 | ||||
| splice donor/acceptor (+/-2bp) | 3 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
Transcript Catalog
Annotated transcript isoforms across RefSeq and Ensembl databases
| Transcript ID | Source | Protein ID | Coding Exons | MANE Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RefSeq | NP_057315.3 | 11 | MANE Select | |
| Ensembl | ENSP00000384625.3 | 11 | MANE Select | |
| Ensembl | ENSP00000433117.1 | 11 | Standard | |
| Ensembl | ENSP00000464656.1 | 2 | Standard |
Model Organisms & Knockout Phenotypes
Observed phenotypic effects in mouse and zebrafish models
| Gene / Model | Organism | Observed Phenotype |
|---|---|---|
| nlk2 | Danio rerio | Structure: optic tectum Quality: decreased size abnormal |
Gene Ontology (GO) Annotations & Pathways
Biological processes, molecular functions, cellular components and pathways
Pathways ConsensusPathDB
- Adherens junction - Homo sapiens (human)
- FoxO signaling pathway - Homo sapiens (human)
- MAPK signaling pathway - Homo sapiens (human)
- Wnt signaling pathway - Homo sapiens (human)
- WNT-Ncore
Biological Process
- MAPK cascade
- regulation of transcription, DNA-templated
- protein phosphorylation
- transforming growth factor beta receptor signaling pathway
- Wnt signaling pathway, calcium modulating pathway
Molecular Function
- magnesium ion binding
- protein kinase activity
- protein serine/threonine kinase activity
- MAP kinase activity
- protein binding
Cellular Component
- nucleus
- nucleoplasm
- cytoplasm
- cytosol
gnomAD Constraint
Source:
- Gene type
- protein_coding
- Transcript type
- protein_coding
- Transcript
- ENST00000407008
- Coding exons
- 11
- Length
- 154645
- Individuals with no LoFs
- 0
- Homozygous LoFs
- 0
- Heterozygous LoFs
- 0
- Defined
- 0
- p
- 0.00
| Z-Score | Observed | Expected | Observed/Expected | Mutation Rate | Total Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missense | 3.56 | 117 | 287 | 0.408 | 0.0000151 | 3444 |
| Missense (PolyPhen) | 27 | 100.48 | 0.2687 | 1298 | ||
| Synonymous | 0.789 | 96 | 106 | 0.903 | 0.00000634 | 1021 |
| Loss of Function | 4.77 | 0 | 26.5 | 0.00 | 0.00000163 | 293 |
Population LoF Frequency
| Population | CAF | p-value | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| African | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| Latino/Admixed American | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| East Asian | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| Finnish | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| European (Non-Finnish) | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| South Asian | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| Other | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
dbNSFP Gene Annotations
Source:
- Function
- FUNCTION: Serine/threonine-protein kinase that regulates a number of transcription factors with key roles in cell fate determination. Positive effector of the non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway, acting downstream of WNT5A, MAP3K7/TAK1 and HIPK2. Activation of this pathway causes binding to and phosphorylation of the histone methyltransferase SETDB1. The NLK- SETDB1 complex subsequently interacts with PPARG, leading to methylation of PPARG target promoters at histone H3K9 and transcriptional silencing. The resulting loss of PPARG target gene transcription inhibits adipogenesis and promotes osteoblastogenesis in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Negative regulator of the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. Binds to and phosphorylates TCF7L2/TCF4 and LEF1, promoting the dissociation of the TCF7L2/LEF1/beta-catenin complex from DNA, as well as the ubiquitination and subsequent proteolysis of LEF1. Together these effects inhibit the transcriptional activation of canonical Wnt/beta-catenin target genes. Negative regulator of the Notch signaling pathway. Binds to and phosphorylates NOTCH1, thereby preventing the formation of a transcriptionally active ternary complex of NOTCH1, RBPJ/RBPSUH and MAML1. Negative regulator of the MYB family of transcription factors. Phosphorylation of MYB leads to its subsequent proteolysis while phosphorylation of MYBL1 and MYBL2 inhibits their interaction with the coactivator CREBBP. Other transcription factors may also be inhibited by direct phosphorylation of CREBBP itself. Acts downstream of IL6 and MAP3K7/TAK1 to phosphorylate STAT3, which is in turn required for activation of NLK by MAP3K7/TAK1. Upon IL1B stimulus, cooperates with ATF5 to activate the transactivation activity of C/EBP subfamily members. Phosphorylates ATF5 but also stabilizes ATF5 protein levels in a kinase-independent manner (PubMed:25512613). {ECO:0000250|UniProtKB:O54949, ECO:0000269|PubMed:12482967, ECO:0000269|PubMed:14960582, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15004007, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15764709, ECO:0000269|PubMed:17952062, ECO:0000269|PubMed:20061393, ECO:0000269|PubMed:20118921, ECO:0000269|PubMed:20874444, ECO:0000269|PubMed:21454679, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25512613}.;
Recessive Scores
- pRec
- 0.163
Intolerance Scores
- RVIS EVS
- -0.49
- RVIS percentile EVS
- 22.09
Essentials
- Essential (CRISPR)
- N
- Essential (CRISPR2)
- N
- Essential (gene trap)
- N
- Indispensability pred.
- E
- Indispensability score
- 0.998
Gene Damage Prediction
| All | Recessive | Dominant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendelian | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Primary Immunodeficiency | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Cancer | Medium | Medium | Medium |