Post-translational modifications of PLK1: a dynamic regulatory network in cell cycle regulation and tumor progression
- 1Clinical Laboratory, Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China
- 2Clinical Laboratory, Jinan Children’s Hospital, Jinan, China
- 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
Abstract
PLK1 is a highly conserved serine/threonine kinase that plays a central role in mitosis and cell-cycle progression. PLK1 is dynamically regulated by multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs), which coordinate its kinase activity, protein stability, subcellular localization, and protein–protein interactions, thereby ensuring its precise functions during cell-cycle progression and tumor progression. Despite substantial advances in understanding the post-translational regulation of PLK1, how different PTMs interact and coordinately regulate PLK1 remains incompletely understood. In this review, we systematically summarize the major PTMs of PLK1 and the molecular mechanisms through which they regulate PLK1 function, with particular emphasis on their roles in cell-cycle regulation and tumor progression. Beyond discussing individual PTMs, we integrate emerging evidence for crosstalk among different modifications, highlighting their cooperative, antagonistic, and sequential regulatory relationships and providing an integrated perspective on the dynamic post-translational regulation of PLK1. Finally, we discuss the biological significance of PLK1 PTM crosstalk, key unresolved questions in the field, and its potential implications for future cancer research and PLK1-targeted strategies.
Related
- Oxidative Stress, Post‐Translational Modifications, and Type 1 Diabetes Pathogenesis
- Genome-Wide Mapping of Major Histone Modifications Reveals Distinct Epigenetic Regulatory States in a Reef-Building Coral
- Post-translational modifications in rosacea
- A delayed translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum controls the post-translational modifications of PD-L1
- ProteomeScout v4: An open-source, harmonized, ecosystem for post-translational modifications
BibTeX
@article{li2026posttranslational,
title = {{Post-translational modifications of PLK1: a dynamic regulatory network in cell cycle regulation and tumor progression}},
author = {Wenjing Li and Wenjing Li and Huiping Lin and Donghua Wen},
journal = {Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fcell.2026.1987587},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2026.1987587},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Post-translational modifications of PLK1: a dynamic regulatory network in cell cycle regulation and tumor progression
AU - Wenjing Li
AU - Wenjing Li
AU - Huiping Lin
AU - Donghua Wen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
DO - 10.3389/fcell.2026.1987587
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2026.1987587
AB - PLK1 is a highly conserved serine/threonine kinase that plays a central role in mitosis and cell-cycle progression. PLK1 is dynamically regulated by multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs), which coordinate its kinase activity, protein stability, subcellular localization, and protein–protein interactions, thereby ensuring its precise functions during cell-cycle progression and tumor progression. Despite substantial advances in understanding the post-translational regulation of PLK1, how different PTMs interact and coordinately regulate PLK1 remains incompletely understood. In this review, we systematically summarize the major PTMs of PLK1 and the molecular mechanisms through which they regulate PLK1 function, with particular emphasis on their roles in cell-cycle regulation and tumor progression. Beyond discussing individual PTMs, we integrate emerging evidence for crosstalk among different modifications, highlighting their cooperative, antagonistic, and sequential regulatory relationships and providing an integrated perspective on the dynamic post-translational regulation of PLK1. Finally, we discuss the biological significance of PLK1 PTM crosstalk, key unresolved questions in the field, and its potential implications for future cancer research and PLK1-targeted strategies.
SN - 2296-634X
ER -