SGK1

SGK1 is a serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated AGC serine/threonine kinase that regulates membrane sodium channel expression and hormonal control of renal Na+ retention[1][2]. Mechanistically, SGK1 acts downstream of PI3K, PDK1, and mTORC2, while also functioning as an AKT-parallel PI3K effector with distinct SGK1-dependent pathways[3][4]. In immune models, mTORC2-activated SGK1 promotes TH2 differentiation through NEDD4-2-JunB regulation and represses IFN-γ through TCF-1, linking SGK1 signaling to asthma, viral infection, and tumor rejection models[1]. In cancer models, SGK1 sustains AKT-independent mTORC1 activation through TSC2 phosphorylation and supports PI3K-driven tumor development, proliferation, and survival[5][4]. Compared with related isoforms, SGK family kinases share PI3K regulation, but SGK3 contains a PX domain, whereas SGK1 lacks this lipid-binding module[6]. For experimental applications, SGK1 inhibition with GSK650394 reduced mantle cell lymphoma proliferation, invasion, migration, and xenograft growth, supporting SGK1 inhibitors as tools for pathway and disease-model studies[7].