Description
DAPK3 (Death Associated Protein Kinase 3), a serine/threonine kinase which is involved in the regulation of apoptosis, autophagy, transcription, translation and actin cytoskeleton reorganization. This protein is involved in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction and regulates both type I (caspase-dependent) apoptotic and type II (caspaseindependent) autophagic cell deaths signal, depending on the cellular setting. DAPK3 is involved in regulation of starvation-induced autophagy and regulates myosin phosphorylation in both smooth muscle and non-muscle cells. In smooth muscle, DAPK3 regulates myosin either directly by phosphorylating MYL12B and MYL9 or through inhibition of smooth muscle myosin phosphatase (SMPP1M) via phosphorylation of PPP1R12A; the inhibition of SMPP1M functions to enhance muscle responsiveness to Ca(2+) and promote a contractile state. DAPK3 phosphorylates MYL12B in non-muscle cells leading to reorganization of actin cytoskeleton. Isoform 2 can phosphorylate myosin, PPP1R12A and MYL12B