DAPK2
Description
The DAPK2 (death associated protein kinase 2) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 15.
DAPK2 is an enzyme encoded by the DAPK2 gene in humans. It belongs to the serine/threonine protein kinase family and contains a N-terminal protein kinase domain followed by a conserved calmodulin-binding domain. This domain shares significant similarity to that of death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1), a positive regulator of programmed cell death. Overexpression of the DAPK2 gene induces cell apoptosis. The DAPK2 mRNA can undergo alternative splicing to produce a DAPK3-like encoding transcript.
DAPK2 is a calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine kinase involved in various cellular signaling pathways, triggering cell survival, apoptosis, and autophagy. It regulates both type I apoptotic (caspase-dependent) and type II autophagic (caspase-independent, characterized by autophagic vesicle accumulation) death signals, depending on the cellular context. DAPK2 acts as a mediator of anoikis and suppresses beta-catenin-dependent anchorage-independent growth of malignant epithelial cells. It plays a role in granulocytic maturation and regulates granulocytic motility by controlling cell spreading and polarization.
DAPK2 is also known as DRP-1, DRP1.
