The Ser/Thr protein kinase encoded by this gene belongs to the CDC5/Polo subfamily. It is highly expressed during mitosis and elevated levels are found in many different types of cancer. Depletion of this protein in cancer cells dramatically inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis; hence, it is a target for cancer therapy. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2015] CIViC Summary for PLK1 Gene
Forensic Context
A study in Sprague-Dawley rats demonstrated that the PLK1 was identified as a key gene present in all four defined index systems (Sets A, B, C, and D) for wound age estimation following skeletal muscle contusion [Ren et al. DOI:10.1016/j.fsigen.2022.102722]. In a separate investigation of myocardial infarction in mice and humans, the PLK1 was identified as a potential target gene related to MI and cellular senescence through machine learning and PPI analysis, though its diagnostic value in external validation was limited [Wen et al. DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-94988-x].