VRK

Named for their resemblance to the vaccinia virus B1R kinase, the VRK members are highly divergent from other CMGC kinases and are not switched on by upstream MAP kinase cascades. VRK1 is a nuclear enzyme that phosphorylates barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF), histone H3 Thr3, p53 and ATF2, supporting nuclear envelope reassembly, chromatin condensation and DNA damage signaling; recessive VRK1 mutations cause pontocerebellar hypoplasia and motor neuron disease. VRK2 is anchored to the mitochondrial outer membrane and endoplasmic reticulum with isoform-specific pro-apoptotic actions. VRK3 carries degenerate catalytic motifs and acts more as a scaffold that promotes ERK signaling than as a conventional kinase.