PAKA — Schizosaccharomyces pombe 972h-

Summary

SPBC1604.14C (symbol PAKA, also known as shk1) on chromosome 2 of Schizosaccharomyces pombe encodes a protein serine/threonine kinase with histone H2BS14 kinase activity and MAPKKKK activity (EC 2.7.11.1). The protein contains a PAK3-like domain, CRIB domain, and protein kinase ATP-binding site. PAKA is associated with positive regulation of bipolar cell polarity establishment and maintenance, regulation of the MAPK cascade, positive regulation of the pheromone response MAPK cascade, osmosensory signaling via the Sho1 osmosensor, chemotaxis, tube morphogenesis, and negative regulation of sterol import. It localizes to the Cdc42 GTPase complex, cell tips, incipient cellular bud site, mating projection tip, actomyosin contractile ring, spindle microtubules, and cell division site. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to reduced virulence and associations with plant pathogens.