title: Signaling, Regulation, and Specificity of the Type II p21-activated Kinases.
abstract: The p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are a family of six serine/threonine kinases that act as key effectors of RHO family GTPases in mammalian cells. PAKs are subdivided into two groups: type I PAKs (PAK1, PAK2, and PAK3) and type II PAKs (PAK4, PAK5, and PAK6). Although these groups are involved in common signaling pathways, recent work indicates that the two groups have distinct modes of regulation and have both unique and common substrates. Here, we review recent insights into the molecular level details that govern regulation of type II PAK signaling. We also consider mechanisms by which signal transduction is regulated at the level of substrate specificity. Finally, we discuss the implications of these studies for clinical targeting of these kinases.
authors: From the Departments of Pharmacology and.
authors: Byung Hak
authors: BH
authors: Ha
authors: Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520.
authors: Elizabeth M
authors: EM
authors: Morse
authors: From the Departments of Pharmacology and.
authors: Benjamin E
authors: BE
authors: Turk
authors: From the Departments of Pharmacology and titus.boggon@yale.edu.
authors: Titus J
authors: TJ
authors: Boggon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D054462:p21-Activated Kinases
keywords: CDC42; Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1); protein structure; serine/threonine protein kinase; signal transduction