SBK1/SBK

SBK1 (SH3-binding kinase 1) is the founding member of the SBK family of atypical kinases in the NKF1 group, expressed predominantly in brain, heart and testis. The protein combines a serine/threonine kinase domain with an SH3-binding, proline-rich region through which it associates with SH3-domain proteins, and it has been reported to phosphorylate the small heat-shock protein HSP27 and the kinase SGK, with suggested roles in cytoprotection and cell-growth control. Much of SBK1 biology remains uncharacterized, and its physiological substrates are not firmly established. Recombinant SBK1 provides a reagent for defining the biochemical properties and interaction network of this obscure kinase family.