Death Associated Protein Kinase 2 (DAPK2)

DAPK2 encodes a protein that belongs to the serine/threonine protein kinase family. This protein contains a N-terminal protein kinase domain followed by a conserved calmodulin-binding domain with significant similarity to that of death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1), a positive regulator of programmed cell death. erexpression of this gene was shown to induce cell apoptosis. It uses multiple polyadenylation sites. Treatment of agonists that elevate intracellular Ca2+-concentration led to the activation of DAPK2 and transfection studies revealed that DAPK2 is localized in the cytoplasm. Overexpression of DAPK2, but not the kinase negative mutant, significantly induced the morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis. These results indicate that DAPK2 is an additional member of DAP kinase family involved in apoptotic signaling.