NEK7

NEK7 is a serine/threonine kinase of the NIMA-related family that acts at the end of the Nek9-Nek6-NEK7 signaling module required for mitotic progression. It is essential for spindle assembly and cytokinesis, functioning downstream of the Nek9 kinase, and its structure reveals a canonical kinase domain in a uniquely autoinhibited conformation. Independently of its enzymatic activity, NEK7 serves as the core scaffold that activates the NLRP3 inflammasome through direct oligomerization-dependent interaction, placing the protein at the intersection of cell division and innate immunity, two intensively targeted arenas.