Description
Recombinant full-length human TOPK was expressed by baculovirus in Sf9 insect cells using an N-terminal GST tag.
Scientific Background: TOPK is a MAPK kinase that phosphorylates p38 MAPK and is activated in a cell-cycle-dependent manner in neuronal progenitor cells in vitro (1). Expression of TOPK is detected in male germ line progenitor cells, activated T-cells, and a variety of lymphomas and leukemias. In vitro studies have shown that activated TOPK phosphorylated p38 MAPK but not JNK or ERK. TOPK activation requires phosphorylation by both the M-phase CDK1/CyclinB kinase complex and another unknown kinase, possibly Raf C or Raf A. TOPK may play an important role in linking extracellular signals to an intracellular state, possibly allowing extracellular influence on the cell-cycle-related processes of proliferation or differentiation (2)