Protein Kinases

Protein kinases are enzymes that transfer phosphate groups from donor molecules to specific proteins by a process referred as phosphorylation. Protein kinases are key regulators of cell functions modulating activity, cellular localization and overall functions of about 30% of human proteins. Representing about 2% of all human genes, more than 500 human protein kinase s can be classified in seven majors groups:

• AGC kinases – containing PKA, PKC and PKG.
• CaM kinases- containing the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases
• CK1- containing the casein kinase 1 group
• CMGC – containing CDK, MAPK, GSK3 and CLK kinases
• STE - containing the homologs of yeast Sterile 7, Sterile 11, and Sterile 20 kinases
• TK- containing the tyrosine kinases
• TKL - containing the tyrosine-kinase like group of kinases