PIM3

null Of the three PIM kinases, PIM3 is the one most tightly linked to epithelial stress responses; it is rapidly induced by stress stimuli and is highly expressed in kidney, brain and adrenal cortex. PIM3 is markedly upregulated in hepatocellular, pancreatic and colorectal carcinomas, where it phosphorylates BAD, MNK1 and translational regulators to suppress apoptosis and sustain growth. The three PIM paralogs share overlapping substrates and are constitutively active, yet PIM3 knockout mice display a distinct phenotype with reduced adipose tissue mass and lower circulating leptin, implicating it in lipid metabolism alongside its proliferative roles.