Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.1 (protein kinase)
 81,284 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The enzyme termed nowadays protein kinase CK2 was first described in liver extracts (as a mixture with protein kinase CK1), using casein as artificial substrate, by Burnett and Kennedy (1954). In 1960 it was shown that such casein/phosvitin phosphorylating activity was ubiquitous and distinct from phosphorylase kinase, i.e., the only other protein kinase known at that time. CK1 and CK2 were distinguished from each other at the end of the sixties, and during the seventies CK2 was purified to homogeneity in several laboratories and thoroughly characterized as far as its subunit structure (alpha 2 beta 2), site specificity, and in vitro responsiveness to various effectors were concerned. The first endogenous substrate for CK2 (eIF-3) was described in 1976, but it was during the eighties that it became clear that CK2 is a pleiotropic protein kinase committed with the phosphorylation of a myriad of cellular targets. More than 100 CK2 substrates are known, sharing typical phosphoacceptor sites specified by multiple acidic residues on the C terminal side of Ser/Thr. The definition of the primary structure of CK2 catalytic subunit, in 1987, definitely included CK2 in the big family of eukariotic protein kinases. The growing interest for CK2 is accounted for by its unusual properties, by the increasing number of its substrates, and by several coincidental arguments suggesting that this pleiotropic protein kinase plays a fundamental role in cellular regulation. A major and intriguing problem concerning CK2 is its apparent lack of regulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:A historical view of protein kinase CK2. 773 12

More than 46 years ago, Burnett and Kennedy first described protein kinase CK2 (formerly known as casein kinase 2) in liver extracts. Since then, protein kinase CK2 has been investigated in many organisms from yeast to man. It is now well established that protein kinase CK2 is a pleiotropic and ubiquitous serine or threonine kinase, which is highly conserved during evolution. A great number of studies deal with substrates of CK2, but the fact that over 160 substrates exist is more confusing than elucidatory. The holoenzyme is composed of two regulatory beta-subunits and two catalytic alpha- or alpha'-subunits. There is now increasing evidence for individual functions of the subunits that are different from their functions in the holoenzyme. Furthermore, more and more studies describe interacting partners of the kinase that may be decisive in the regulation of this enzyme. A big step forward has been the determination of the crystal structure of the two subunits of protein kinase CK2. Now the interactions of the catalytic subunit of CK2 with ATP as well as GTP and the interaction between the regulatory subunits can be explained. However, cellular functions of protein kinase CK2 still remain unclear. In the present review we will focus our interest on the subcellular localization of protein kinase CK2. Protein kinase CK2 is found in many organisms and tissues and nearly every subcellular compartment. There is ample evidence that protein kinase CK2 has different functions in these compartments and that the subcellular localization of protein kinase CK2 is tightly regulated. Therefore studying the subcellular localization of protein kinase CK2 may be a key to its function.
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PMID:Subcellular localization of protein kinase CK2. A key to its function? 1099 79