Description
Product Characteristics:
The p21 activated kinases (PAK) are critical effectors that link Rho GTPases to cytoskeleton reorganization and nuclear signaling. The PAK proteins are a family of serine/threonine kinases that serve as targets for the small GTP binding proteins, CDC42 and RAC1, and have been implicated in a wide range of biological activities. The protein encoded by this gene is activated by proteolytic cleavage during caspase-mediated apoptosis, and may play a role in regulating the apoptotic events in the dying cell.P21-activated kinase (PAK) is actually a family of serine/threonine protein kinases, members of which are activated by small molecular weight GTPases. The three most common isoforms are PAK 1, PAK 2, and PAK 3 (also known as alpha PAK, gamma PAK, and beta PAK, respectively). These kinases contain numerous regulatory elements that trigger diverse signaling processes such as those initiated by activated GTPases, interaction with Src homology 3 (SH3) domains, and caspase mediated proteolytic cleavage. Autophosphorylation of serine 141 (serine 144 for PAK 1 and serine 139 PAK 3), catalyzed by Cdc42, is required for activation of PAK.
Subcellular location: Cell membrane
Synonyms: PAK3_HUMAN, Beta PAK, bPAK, CDKN1A, hPAK3, Mental retardation X linked 30, MRX30, MRX47, Oligophrenin 3, OPHN3, p21 activated kinase 3, p21 CDKN1A activated kinase 3, PAK-3, PAK3 p21 protein Cdc42/Rac-activated kinase 3, PAK3beta, Pak65alpha, Pak65beta, Serine threonine protein kinase PAK 3, Stk4.
Target Information: PAK proteins are critical effectors that link Rho GTPases to cytoskeleton reorganization and nuclear signaling. PAK proteins, a family of serine/threonine p21-activating kinases, serve as targets for the small GTP binding proteins Cdc42 and RAC and have been implicated in a wide range of biological activities. The protein encoded by this gene forms an activated complex with GTP-bound RAS-like (P21), CDC2 and RAC1 proteins which then catalyzes a variety of targets. This protein may be necessary for dendritic development and for the rapid cytoskeletal reorganization in dendritic spines associated with synaptic plasticity. Defects in this gene are the cause of non-syndromic mental retardation X-linked type 30 (MRX30), also called X-linked mental retardation type 47 (MRX47). Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been identified. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]