Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex
09:25

Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex

Published on: June 4, 2014

16.1K

MELK is Required for G2/M Phase Progression in Cortical Progenitors: Insights from Rare ASD-Associated Variants

Liyang Zhao1, Xianjing Li1, Kang Yang1

  • 1National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, No. 51 Huayuanbei Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.

Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
|April 13, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is crucial for embryonic brain development. This study reveals MELK regulates neural progenitor cell cycle and neuron formation, linking it to neurodevelopmental conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is a known cell cycle regulator.
  • Its specific function in embryonic cortical development and neurodevelopmental conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of MELK in embryonic cortical development.
  • To explore the potential mechanistic link between MELK function and neurodevelopmental conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of ultra-rare MELK variants in individuals with ASD.
  • In utero electroporation in mouse models to assess Melk knockdown effects.
  • Single-cell transcriptomics and FACS-sorted cell analysis to examine gene expression changes.

Main Results:

  • MELK expression is enriched in neural progenitors and correlates with the G2/M phase of the cell cycle.
  • Melk knockdown in mice impairs progenitor cell cycle progression (G2/M phase) and neuronal migration.
  • Downregulation of G2/M phase genes and cytoskeletal regulators involved in neuronal morphogenesis was observed in Melk-knockdown cells.

Conclusions:

  • MELK is identified as a critical regulator of G2/M phase progression in neural progenitors during cortical development.
  • MELK plays a vital role in neuronal morphogenesis, impacting cell migration and process extension.
  • These findings establish a mechanistic link between MELK dysfunction and neurodevelopmental conditions.
Keywords:
Cortical developmentG2/M phaseMELKNeuronal morphology

More Related Videos

Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into Cortical Interneuron Precursors10:24

Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into Cortical Interneuron Precursors

Published on: December 3, 2017

11.0K
Ex Vivo Culture of Chick Cerebellar Slices and Spatially Targeted Electroporation of Granule Cell Precursors10:02

Ex Vivo Culture of Chick Cerebellar Slices and Spatially Targeted Electroporation of Granule Cell Precursors

Published on: December 14, 2015

9.9K

Related Concept Videos

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
5.3K
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis02:15

M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis

Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
6.8K
Molecular Factors Affecting Cell Division01:27

Molecular Factors Affecting Cell Division

Several external and internal factors influence the initiation and inhibition of cell division. For instance, the death of nearby cells or the release of human growth hormone (hGH) promotes cell division. In contrast, lack of hGH or crowding of cells can inhibit cell division.
Several proteins function as internal regulators to ensure each cell cycle stage is completed faithfully before proceeding to the next. Regulator molecules may act directly or influence the activity or production of other...
4.1K
Positive Regulator Molecules01:45

Positive Regulator Molecules

To consistently produce healthy cells, the cell cycle—the process that generates daughter cells—must be precisely regulated.
137.3K
Positive Regulator Molecules02:39

Positive Regulator Molecules

Mitotic cell division results in daughter cells that exactly resemble the parent cell. However, errors in the DNA replication or distribution of genetic material may lead to genetic mutations that may be passed down to every new cell formed from the resulting abnormal cell. Propagation of such mutant cells is restricted through checkpoint mechanisms present at different stages of the cell cycle. These checkpoints involve regulator molecules that either promote or demote cell cycle events.
7.1K
The Cell Cycle Control System01:28

The Cell Cycle Control System

The cell cycle regulation directs how a cell proceeds from one phase to the next and begins mitosis. The cell cycle control system includes intracellular regulatory molecules and external triggers. They provide "stop" or "advance" signals and operate at specific cell cycle stages termed checkpoints to ensure that a particular process is completed before the cell advances to the next phase.
Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) are the primary cell cycle regulators and...
6.5K