Enables ATP binding activity; magnesium ion binding activity; and protein serine/threonine kinase activity. Involved in cellular response to glucose starvation and protein phosphorylation. Predicted to be active in cytoplasm. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in anencephaly. Orthologous to human NUAK2 (NUAK family kinase 2). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]