TBK1
TBK1 (TANK-binding kinase 1) is an IKK-related kinase that functions as a central signaling hub of innate immunity. Recruited by adaptors such as TANK, NAP1 and STING, TBK1 phosphorylates the transcription factors IRF3 and IRF7, initiating type I interferon responses to viral nucleic acids and cytosolic DNA. It also phosphorylates optineurin and other autophagy receptors to promote mitophagy and xenophagy. Loss-of-function and haploinsufficiency variants in TBK1 cause frontotemporal dementia with ALS, and the kinase is pursued therapeutically in interferon-driven autoimmune disease and cancer. Recombinant TBK1 is a key reagent for STING-pathway and inhibitor-discovery research.
