# PLK1

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/plk1/  
OnCo record `plk1` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

PLK1 (Serine/threonine-protein kinase PLK1) is a protein kinase, an enzyme that switches other proteins on by adding phosphate groups. The public catalogues list it as a biomarker, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Glioma & glioblastoma.

## Summary

Serine/threonine-protein kinase that performs several important functions throughout M phase of the cell cycle, including the regulation of centrosome maturation and spindle assembly, the removal of cohesins from chromosome arms, the inactivation of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) inhibitors, and the regulation of mitotic exit and cytokinesis. Polo-like kinase proteins act by binding and phosphorylating proteins that are already phosphorylated on a specific motif recognised by the POLO box domains. Phosphorylates BORA, BUB1B/BUBR1, CCNB1, CDC25C, CEP55, ECT2, ERCC6L, FBXO5/EMI1, FOXM1, KIF20A/MKLP2, CENPU, NEDD1, NINL, NPM1, NUDC, PKMYT1/MYT1, KIZ, MRE11, PPP1R12A/MYPT1, POLQ, PRC1, RACGAP1/CYK4, RAD51, RHNO1, SGO1, STAG2/SA2, TEX14, TOPORS, p73/TP73, TPT1, WEE1 and HNRNPU.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: polo like kinase 1; Serine/threonine-protein kinase PLK1
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: PLK1
- Class: kinase
- Biology: Serine/threonine-protein kinase that performs several important functions throughout M phase of the cell cycle, including the regulation of centrosome maturation and spindle assembly, the removal of cohesins from chromosome arms, the inactivation of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) inhibitors, and the regulation of mitotic exit and cytokinesis. Polo-like kinase proteins act by binding and phosphorylating proteins that are already phosphorylated on a specific motif recognised by the POLO box domains. Phosphorylates BORA, BUB1B/BUBR1, CCNB1, CDC25C, CEP55, ECT2, ERCC6L, FBXO5/EMI1, FOXM1, KIF20A/MKLP2, CENPU, NEDD1, NINL, NPM1, NUDC, PKMYT1/MYT1, KIZ, MRE11, PPP1R12A/MYPT1, POLQ, PRC1, RACGAP1/CYK4, RAD51, RHNO1, SGO1, STAG2/SA2, TEX14, TOPORS, p73/TP73, TPT1, WEE1 and HNRNPU. Plays a key role in centrosome functions and the assembly of bipolar spindles by phosphorylating KIZ, NEDD1 and NINL. NEDD1 phosphorylation promotes subsequent targeting of the gamma-tubulin ring complex (gTuRC) to the centrosome, an important step for spindle formation. Phosphorylation of NINL component of the centrosome leads to NINL dissociation from other centrosomal proteins. Location: Nucleus; Chromosome, centromere, kinetochore; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, microtubule organizing center, centrosome; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, spindle (UniProt). Locus 16p12.2 (HGNC).
- Where found: Glioma & glioblastoma: CIViC evidence names this disease

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence items on its variants. Evidence tier "clinical-evidence" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:9077: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:9077
- UniProt P53350: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P53350/entry
- NCBI Gene 5347: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/5347
- Ensembl ENSG00000166851: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000166851

## Connected records

- collections: [CIViC](https://onco.cc/collections/civic/)
- cancers: [Glioma & glioblastoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/glioblastoma/)
- pathways: [Mitosis & the spindle assembly checkpoint](https://onco.cc/pathways/mitotic-spindle-checkpoint/), [MYC](https://onco.cc/pathways/myc/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/plk1.json