PKN1/PRK1

PKN1, also called PRK1 or PKNalpha, is a Rho-family effector kinase whose N-terminal region contains HR1 (PBD) repeats that bind active RhoA and RhoC, together with an AGC-group kinase domain. Activated by Rho GTPases, lipid signals and phosphorylation by PDK1, PKN1 regulates actin cytoskeleton organization, cell adhesion and migration, intermediate filament dynamics via vimentin phosphorylation, and androgen receptor-dependent transcription. It is broadly expressed with enrichment in heart and brain. PKN1 overexpression has been reported in prostate cancer. Recombinant PKN1 is used to reconstitute RhoA signaling cascades and to study cytoskeletal phosphorylation events.