Institute of Innovative Research, 
Tokyo Institute of Technology.

2022.03.07

Press Release

Plotting the Placental Protein NRK: Understanding the Molecular Evolution Processes Underlying Placenta Acquisition in Eutherian Ancestors

The molecular evolution of placental protein NRK and its function in regulating placental growth has finally been clarified by researchers from Tokyo Tech. They elucidated that eutherian NRK regulates placental development by a novel mechanism, modulating the CK2-PTEN-AKT pathway. They also determined that this new function was acquired due to the amazingly rapid molecular evolution of NRK in eutherian ancestors.