ULK12

ULK12, or Unc-51-like kinase 12, is an ambiguous designation in the family of ULK serine/threonine kinases. In humans, the best characterized members are ULK1 and ULK2, which regulate autophagy, with ULK3 and ULK4 described in various contexts. As of current knowledge, there is no widely accepted gene or protein universally recognized as ULK12. Some database entries or texts may reference ULK12 as a predicted or historical locus, or use it as an alias for a member of the ULK family in non-human species. However, such entries lack consistent experimental evidence and are not part of the core human ULK gene set.

Function and structure: If a ULK12 exists as a functional kinase in any species, it would be anticipated to belong to theUNC-51-like serine/threonrine kinase family and to share features common to ULK kinases, such as an N-terminal kinase domain and regulatory regions. No peer-reviewed studies confirm a human ULK12, and consequently its biological function remains speculative absent validated data.

Genomic status: In the human reference genome (GRCh38/hg38), no gene with the symbol ULK12 is listed in current primary annotations. If a ULK12 locus exists in other species, it would be found in species-specific genome assemblies and databases.

See also: ULK1, ULK2, ULK3, ULK4, autophagy.