DYRK2

DYRK2 (dual-specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 2) is a member of the DYRK kinase family that integrates cell-cycle control, DNA-damage signaling, proteostasis, and apoptosis through substrate-specific phosphorylation events[1][2]. Upon genotoxic stress, DYRK2 undergoes nuclear translocation and directly phosphorylates p53 at Ser46, promoting p53-dependent apoptotic transcriptional programs and irreversible cell-fate commitment after severe DNA damage[1]. Mechanistically, ATM-dependent phosphorylation stabilizes DYRK2 and supports its accumulation in the nucleus, linking DNA-damage sensing to apoptotic execution pathways[3]. Beyond p53 regulation, DYRK2 functions as a priming kinase for c-Jun and c-Myc, facilitating their ubiquitination and degradation, thereby influencing G1/S cell-cycle progression and oncogenic signaling networks[4]. DYRK2 also regulates proteostasis by phosphorylating the 26S proteasome and enhancing proteasome activity, a process associated with survival of proteasome-dependent tumor cells including multiple myeloma and triple-negative breast cancer models[5][6]. In disease settings, altered DYRK2 expression has been associated with tumor progression, chemosensitivity, and metastatic behavior, although its biological role remains context dependent across cancer types[2][7]. Compared with related DYRK isoforms, DYRK2 is distinguished by its prominent regulation of p53-dependent apoptosis, proteasome activation, and ubiquitin-mediated turnover of oncogenic substrates[1][4][5]. For experimental applications, pharmacological inhibition of DYRK2 suppresses proteasome activity and impairs growth of proteasome-addicted cancers, supporting its value as a mechanistic target in translational oncology research[6][8].
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