MAK
MAK (male germ cell-associated kinase) was first identified in rat testis and remains most abundant in spermatogenic cells, although it is also expressed in ciliated tissues such as retinal photoreceptors. It belongs to the same RCK branch as ICK/CILK1 and MOK and functions at cilia and flagella, where it interacts with intraflagellar transport components and with the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator RPGR to control axonemal length. Certain loss-of-function MAK alleles, including an Alu-element insertion, cause autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa. Recombinant MAK supports studies of ciliary biology, photoreceptor degeneration, and kinase-inhibitor selectivity within the MAK-related subfamily.
