Alpha-kinase domain of eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase
Eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF2K) is also called calcium/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent eEF2K. It phosphorylates eukaryotic elongation factor-2 (EEF2) at a single site, leading to its inactivation and inability to bind ribosomes, and slowing down the elongation stage of protein synthesis. It has been linked to many human diseases including cardiovascular conditions (atherosclerosis) and pulmonary arterial hypertension, as well as solid tumors and neurological disorders. eEF2K is an atypical protein kinase containing a CaM binding region, an alpha-kinase catalytic domain, and TPR-like Sel1 repeats at the C-terminus. Alpha-kinase is an atypical protein kinase catalytic domain with no detectable similarity to conventional protein serine/threonine kinases. The alpha-kinase family was named after the unique mode of substrate recognition by its initial members, the Dictyostelium heavy chain kinases, which targeted protein sequences that adopt an alpha-helical conformation. More recently, alpha-kinases were found to also target residues in non-helical regions.
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