CLK1

Of the four CDC-like kinases, CLK1 is the best-characterized splicing regulator and one of the most abundant, with particularly high expression in brain and heart. A dual-specificity enzyme, it phosphorylates its own activation-loop tyrosine and then transfers phosphate to serine residues in the RS domains of SR proteins such as SRSF1, controlling their localization to nuclear speckles and the choice of alternative exons. Through these substrates CLK1 influences circadian period, viral replication, and cell proliferation. Small molecules including TG003-type inhibitors have made CLK1 a probe target for splicing modulation in oncology. Recombinant CLK1 supports enzymatic assays, substrate studies, and inhibitor selectivity work.