DCAMKL

The DCAMKL group encodes doublecortin-like kinases, hybrid proteins that couple two N-terminal doublecortin domains, which bind and stabilize microtubules, with a C-terminal CAMK-like serine/threonine kinase domain. DCLK1, the prototype, is expressed in neuroblasts and radial glia, where it regulates neuronal migration, cilia formation, and microtubule polymerization. DCLK2 and DCLK3 show predominantly neural expression with related microtubule-binding properties. Remarkably, DCLK1 also marks intestinal tuft cells, and lineage-tracing studies have examined it as a putative tissue stem cell marker, while its overexpression in colorectal, pancreatic, and renal cancers supports tumor growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, making it a dual marker of normal and malignant tissue.