KIN2/PAR-1/MARK kinase family explained

Symbol:	KA1
Kinase associated domain 1
Pfam:	PF02149
Interpro:	IPR001772
Scop:	1ul7

In molecular biology, members of the KIN2/PAR-1/MARK kinase family of proteins are kinases that are conserved from yeast to human and share the same domain organisation: an N-terminal kinase domain and a C-terminal kinase associated domain 1 (KA1). Some members of this family also contain an UBA domain (ubiquitin-associated domain). Members of this kinase family are involved in various biological processes such as cell polarity, cell cycle control, intracellular signalling, microtubule stability and protein stability.^[1] The function of the KA1 domain is not yet known.

Some proteins known to contain a KA1 domain are listed below:

Mammalian MAP/microtubule affinity-regulating kinases (MARK 1, 2, 3). They regulate polarity in neuronal cell models and appear to function redundantly in phosphorylating microtubule-associated proteins and in regulating microtubule stability.^[2]
Mammalian maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK). It phosphorylates ZNF622 and may contribute to its redirection to the nucleus. It may be involved in the inhibition of spliceosome assembly during mitosis.
Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila PAR-1 protein, required for establishing polarity in embryos where it is asymmetrically distributed.^[3]
Fungal Kin1 and Kin2 protein kinases involved in regulation of exocytosis. They localise to the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane.^[4]
Plant KIN10 and KIN11 proteins, catalytic subunits of the putative trimeric SNF1-related protein kinase (SnRK) complex.

Notes and References

Tassan JP, Le Goff X . An overview of the KIN1/PAR-1/MARK kinase family . Biol. Cell . 96 . 3 . 193–9 . April 2004 . 15182702 . 10.1016/j.biolcel.2003.10.009 . 29770491 . free .
Biernat J, Wu YZ, Timm T, Zheng-Fischhofer Q, Mandelkow E, Meijer L, Mandelkow EM . Protein kinase MARK/PAR-1 is required for neurite outgrowth and establishment of neuronal polarity . Mol. Biol. Cell . 13 . 11 . 4013–28 . November 2002 . 12429843 . 133611 . 10.1091/mbc.02-03-0046 .
Guo S, Kemphues KJ . par-1, a gene required for establishing polarity in C. elegans embryos, encodes a putative Ser/Thr kinase that is asymmetrically distributed . Cell . 81 . 4 . 611–20 . May 1995 . 7758115 . 10.1016/0092-8674(95)90082-9. 15478890 . free .
Elbert M, Rossi G, Brennwald P . The yeast par-1 homologs kin1 and kin2 show genetic and physical interactions with components of the exocytic machinery . Mol. Biol. Cell . 16 . 2 . 532–49 . February 2005 . 15563607 . 545889 . 10.1091/mbc.E04-07-0549 .