Description
HGK/NIK, a member of the STE20 subfamily of Ser/Thr protein kinases, may play a role in the response to environmental stress and cytokines such as TNF-alpha. It appears to act upstream of the JUN N-terminal pathway. This protein is thought to interact with the SH3 domain of the adapter proteins Nck. HGK/NIK binds, via its CNH regulatory domain, to the N-terminal region of SPG3A. Expression appears to be ubiquitous, expressed in all tissue types examined. Isoform 5 appears to be more abundant in the brain, and isoform 4 is predominant in the liver, skeletal muscle and placenta