PDK1

PDK1, encoded by the PDPK1 gene, is the master upstream activator of the AGC kinase group, not to be confused with pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase of the same abbreviation. Its kinase domain is joined to a C-terminal PH domain that binds PIP3, recruiting it to the plasma membrane upon PI3K activation. Its substrates are other kinases: PDK1 phosphorylates the activation-loop threonine of AKT, SGK, PKC isoforms, RSK, and roughly twenty other AGC members. Substrate docking uses a hydrophobic PIF pocket that engages the phosphorylated hydrophobic motif of client kinases, integrating membrane recruitment with motif priming. Sitting atop the PI3K cascade, PDK1 dosage strongly shapes cancer phenotypes, and it is genetically validated as a target in PTEN-deficient tumors.