Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Assaying the Kinase Activity of LRRK2 in vitro
Published on: January 18, 2012
Architecture and activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase related kinases
Stefan Imseng1, Christopher Hs Aylett2, Timm Maier1
1Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Abstract:
The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase related protein kinases (PIKKs) are key to the regulation of a variety of eukaryotic cellular processes including DNA repair and growth regulation. While these massive proteins had long resisted structural analysis, recent advances in electron cryo-microscopy have now facilitated structural analysis of the major examples of PIKKs, including mTOR, DNA-PK, ATM, ATR and TRAPP/Tra1. In these PIKKs, the carboxy-terminal kinase domains and their proximal regions are structurally conserved. The structural organization of their extensive amino-terminal repeat regions, however, as well as their oligomeric organization and their interactions with accessory proteins, differ markedly amongst PIKKs. This architectural divergence provides the structural basis for the complex regulatory roles and functional diversity of PIKKs.
Related Concept Videos
Protein Kinases and Phosphatases
Protein kinases
Many proteins in the cell are regulated by phosphorylation, the addition of a phosphate group. A family of enzymes called kinases...
Protein Kinases and Phosphatases
Receptor Tyrosine Kinases
cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways
ortho–para-Directing Activators: –CH3, –OH, –⁠NH2, –OCH3
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...

