NAK

NAK kinases couple clathrin-mediated membrane traffic to signal transduction. The family contains AAK1, which binds the adaptor Numb and phosphorylates the AP-2 mu subunit to support cargo selection; GAK, the mammalian auxilin-related kinase that recruits Hsc70 to uncoat clathrin-coated vesicles; BMP2K, also called BIKE, implicated in BMP signaling and osteoblast differentiation; and STK16, a broadly expressed Golgi enzyme that sits on its own branch of the kinome. Because AAK1 and GAK control clathrin-dependent uptake, inhibitors of these kinases block entry of dengue, hepatitis C and other viruses in cell culture. GAK variants are additionally associated with Parkinson disease risk.