Required for cytoplasmic partitioning and asymmetric cell division in early embryogenesis (PubMed:10704392). Controls the asymmetric cell division of the Q.p neuroblast lineage (PubMed:23267054). Involved in mediating cell polarization via regulation of anillin family scaffold proteins (PubMed:21276723). Phosphorylates and restricts the asymmetry effectors mex-5 and mex-6 to the anterior cytoplasm of the zygote and maintains these phosphorylations until fertilization (PubMed:18842813). May phosphorylate par-1. Required for strd-1 localization to the cell cortex of early embryos and may be required for strd-1 protein stabilization. May regulate the integrity of the early embryonic cortex in a strd-1-dependent manner (PubMed:20110331). Phosphorylates and regulates aak-2 in response to oxidative stress and during dauer development (PubMed:18408008, PubMed:20110331). May also play a role in motility, behavioral response, regulation of lifespan and dauer formation through this pathway (PubMed:15574588, PubMed:18408008). Required to establish germline stem cell (GSC) quiescence during dauer development (PubMed:20110331). Acts downstream of unc-40 in dendrite outgrowth (PubMed:21186357). May play a role in cell shedding during embryogenesis, probably by phosphorylating pig-1 (PubMed:22801495). ATP + L-seryl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-seryl-[protein] ATP + L-threonyl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-threonyl-[protein] Interacts with strd-1. Expressed in the gonads, oocytes and early embryos (at protein level). Cortical distribution begins at the late 1-cell stage, is more pronounced at the 2- and 4-cell stages and is reduced at late stages of embryonic development. Maternal effect lethality. Blastomeres cleave synchronously until the fourth or fifth round, when synchrony breaks down. Cells also fail to segregate P granules, with the posteriormost blastomere tending to contain more P granules than other blastomeres. Terminal stage embryos fail to produce intestinal cells. Adult worms exhibit temperature-dependent reduction of oxidative-stress induced aak-2 phosphorylation, hypersensitivity to oxidative stress, slow body bending, abnormal modulation of head oscillation, and partially suppress the lifespan extension and dauer-constitutive phenotypes of aak-2 mutants. Cytokinesis cell polarity defeats; mispositioning of anterior PAR proteins and defects in contractile ring ingression during cytokinesis due to abnormal actomyosin contractility. Shortened dendrites. Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CAMK Ser/Thr protein kinase family. LKB1 subfamily.