Negatively regulates Wnt/beta-catenin-signaling during development. Plays a role together with sox11 in neural induction during early embryogenesis. Involved in TGFbeta-mediated mesoderm induction in early embryos, acting downstream of map3k7/tak1 to phosphorylate stat3.1. Augments the rnf138/narf-directed ubiquitination and degradation of tcf/lef by enhancing the association of rnf138/narf and tcf/lef. Phosphorylates mef2a to play a role in anterior neural development, including eye formation. ATP + L-seryl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-seryl-[protein] ATP + L-threonyl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-threonyl-[protein] Activated by tyrosine and threonine phosphorylation. Interacts with sox11, hmgxb4/hmg2l1, rnf138/narf, stat3.1 and mef2a. Expressed widely in the ectoderm during early gastrula stage when neural induction is taking place. Expressed in the head region of neurula stage embryos. At the end of neurulation, expression becomes localized to the nervous system, and is restricted to the central nervous system, eye and head neural crest cells by the early tadpole stages. Expressed maternally and throughout embryonic development through to the tadpole stage. Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP kinase subfamily.