Description
Overview: Serine/threonine kinase that acts as an essential activator of the Wnt signaling pathway. Recruited to promoters of Wnt target genes and required to activate their expression. May act by phosphorylating TCF4/TCF7L2. Appears to act upstream of the JUN N-terminal pathway. May play a role in the response to environmental stress. Part of a signaling complex composed of NEDD4, RAP2A and TNIK which regulates neuronal dendrite extension and arborization during development. More generally, it may play a role in cytoskeletal rearrangements and regulate cell spreading. Phosphorylates SMAD1 on Thr-322.
Structure: Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. STE Ser/Thr protein kinase family. STE20 subfamily.
Expression: Expressed ubiquitously. Highest levels observed in heart, brain and skeletal muscle. Expressed in normal colonic epithelia and colorectal cancer tissues