Identification of a new class of protein kinases represented by eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 May 13;94(10):4884-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.94.10.4884.

Abstract

The several hundred members of the eukaryotic protein kinase superfamily characterized to date share a similar catalytic domain structure, consisting of 12 conserved subdomains. Here we report the existence and wide occurrence in eukaryotes of a protein kinase with a completely different structure. We cloned and sequenced the human, mouse, rat, and Caenorhabditis elegans eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF-2 kinase) and found that with the exception of the ATP-binding site, they do not contain any sequence motifs characteristic of the eukaryotic protein kinase superfamily. Comparison of different eEF-2 kinase sequences reveals a highly conserved region of approximately 200 amino acids which was found to be homologous to the catalytic domain of the recently described myosin heavy chain kinase A (MHCK A) from Dictyostelium. This suggests that eEF-2 kinase and MHCK A are members of a new class of protein kinases with a novel catalytic domain structure.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / enzymology
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / biosynthesis
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / chemistry*
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Conserved Sequence
  • DNA Primers
  • Dictyostelium / enzymology
  • Elongation Factor 2 Kinase
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Rabbits
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Reticulocytes / enzymology
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • EEF2K protein, human
  • Eef2k protein, rat
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
  • Eef2k protein, mouse
  • Elongation Factor 2 Kinase
  • myosin-heavy-chain kinase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/U93846
  • GENBANK/U93847
  • GENBANK/U93848
  • GENBANK/U93849
  • GENBANK/U93850