Polo like kinases (PLKs) are a family of serine/threonine-protein kinases that play critical roles in various stages of the cell cycle. They are named after the Polo gene in Drosophila melanogaster, which encodes a kinase essential for mitosis. The family includes several members, such as PLK1, PLK2, PLK3, and PLK4, each with distinct but sometimes overlapping functions.
