MARK1

MARK1 is the founding microtubule affinity-regulating kinase, an AMPK-related enzyme activated by LKB1 that phosphorylates the KXGS motifs of tau, MAP2, and MAP4, detaching these microtubule-associated proteins from microtubules. In neurons this regulates microtubule stability and axonal transport, and tau phosphorylation at these priming sites contributes to Alzheimer disease-associated aggregation. MARK1 also contributes to epithelial and neuronal polarity through cytoskeletal effects. Human genetics implicate MARK1 in autism spectrum disorder, with gene duplication and coding variants reported in affected individuals, and experimental studies suggest altered synaptic development and signaling downstream of these variants. The kinase therefore connects polarity signaling with both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease processes.