NEW MEMBER OF THE SNF1 AMPK KINASE FAMILY, MELK, IS EXPRESSED IN THE MOUSE EGG AND PREIMPLANTATION EMBRYO/

The initial phase of mammalian preimplantation development is directed by stored maternal mRNAs and their encoded proteins, yet most of the molecules controlling this process have not been described, We have us ed differential display analysis of cDNA libraries prepared from unfer tilized eggs and preimplantation embryos to isolate three maternal cDN As that represent novel genes exhibiting different patterns of express ion during this developmental period. One of these, Melk, encodes a pr otein with a kinase catalytic domain and a leucine zipper motif, a new member of the Snf1/AMPK family of kinases. This gene product may play a role in the signal transduction events in the egg and early embryo. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.