Description
Protein kinase C iota, also called PKCI, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PRKCI gene. This gene encodes a member of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of serine/threonine protein kinases. This protein kinase is calcium-independent and phospholipid-dependent. It is not activated by phorbolesters or diacylglycerol. This kinase can be recruited to vesicle tubular clusters (VTCs) by direct interaction with the small GTPase RAB2, where it phosphorylates glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPD/GAPDH) and plays a role in microtubule dynamics in the early secretory pathway. PRKCI is found to be necessary for BCL-ABL-mediated resistance to drug-induced apoptosis and therefore protects leukemia cells against drug-induced apoptosis. It is also a hedgehog target gene that forms a positive feedback loop with GLI and exists at increased levels in basal cell carcinomas