NEK1 and polycystic kidney disease: Nek1Kat2J mutant mice exhibit premature lethality and pleiotropic defects such as facial dysmorphism, polycystic kidney disease, craniofacial anomalies, and growth retardation6 and thus, provide a model for investigating the null phenotype of Nek1. Knockdown of Nek1 has been found in a focused siRNA screen to sensitize to RIPK1-dependent apoptosis (RDA) by promoting the activation of RIPK17.