title: Elongation factor-2 kinase and its newly discovered relatives.
abstract: Phosphorylation of elongation factor-2 (eEF-2) by the highly specific eEF-2 kinase results in eEF-2 inactivation and, therefore, may regulate the global rate of protein synthesis in animal cells. Cloning and sequencing of eEF-2 kinase led to the discovery of a new family of protein kinases, named alpha-kinases, whose catalytic domains display no sequence homology to conventional eukaryotic protein kinases. Several mammalian alpha-kinases have recently been cloned. Two of these alpha-kinases, named channel-kinases 1 and 2 (ChaK1 and ChaK2) represent a new type of signaling molecules that are protein kinases fused to ion channels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway NJ 08854, USA. ryazanag@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Alexey G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ryazanov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D054736:Elongation Factor 2 Kinase; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008322:Mammals; D020652:Peptide Elongation Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D020652:Peptide Elongation Factor 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D054736:Elongation Factor 2 Kinase