PKN1 (Protein Kinase N1)

PKN1 (Protein Kinase N1)

Infobox

<div class="infobox infobox-gene">
<table>
<tr><th colspan="2" style="background:#f8f9fa;text-align:center;font-size:1.2em;">PKN1</th></tr>
<tr><td><b>Gene Symbol</b></td><td>PKN1</td></tr> [@kawaguchi2000]
<tr><td><b>Full Name</b></td><td>Protein Kinase N1</td></tr> [@venkatesh2008]
<tr><td><b>Chromosomal Location</b></td><td>19p13.12</td></tr> [@kikuchi2007]
<tr><td><b>NCBI Gene ID</b></td><td>[5585](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/5585)</td></tr> [@mukai1996a]
<tr><td><b>OMIM</b></td><td>[601935](https://www.omim.org/entry/601935)</td></tr> [@mukai2015]
<tr><td><b>Ensembl ID</b></td><td>ENSG00000123143</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>UniProt ID</b></td><td>[Q16512](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q16512)</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Associated Diseases</b></td><td>Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, ALS, Cancer</td></tr>
</table>
</div>

Overview

...

PKN1 (Protein Kinase N1)

Infobox

<div class="infobox infobox-gene">
<table>
<tr><th colspan="2" style="background:#f8f9fa;text-align:center;font-size:1.2em;">PKN1</th></tr>
<tr><td><b>Gene Symbol</b></td><td>PKN1</td></tr> [@kawaguchi2000]
<tr><td><b>Full Name</b></td><td>Protein Kinase N1</td></tr> [@venkatesh2008]
<tr><td><b>Chromosomal Location</b></td><td>19p13.12</td></tr> [@kikuchi2007]
<tr><td><b>NCBI Gene ID</b></td><td>[5585](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/5585)</td></tr> [@mukai1996a]
<tr><td><b>OMIM</b></td><td>[601935](https://www.omim.org/entry/601935)</td></tr> [@mukai2015]
<tr><td><b>Ensembl ID</b></td><td>ENSG00000123143</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>UniProt ID</b></td><td>[Q16512](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q16512)</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Associated Diseases</b></td><td>Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, ALS, Cancer</td></tr>
</table>
</div>

Overview

## is a human gene whose product pKN1 (Protein Kinase N1)** encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase that belongs to the protein kinase C (PKC) superfamily but represents a distinct branch (the PKN or protein kinase N family). PKN1 is activated by Rho family GTPases and functions as a key regulator of cytoskeletal organization, cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9256486/). Variants in ## have been implicated in Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, ALS. This page covers the gene's normal function, disease associations, expression patterns, and key research findings relevant to neurodegeneration.

Function

PKN1 (Protein Kinase N1) encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase that belongs to the protein kinase C (PKC) superfamily but represents a distinct branch (the PKN or protein kinase N family). PKN1 is activated by Rho family GTPases and functions as a key regulator of cytoskeletal organization, cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation [1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9256486/).

PKN1 contains an N-terminal regulatory region with three repeats of the HR1 (H1 Rho-binding) domain that binds active GTP-bound RhoA, RhoB, and RhoC. The C-terminal kinase domain shares homology with PKC isoforms but has distinct substrate specificity [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8626591/).

Key functions of PKN1 in neuronal cells:

• Cytoskeletal regulation: Controls actin stress fiber formation, microtubule organization, and neuronal process outgrowth
• Cell adhesion: Regulates integrin-mediated adhesion and focal adhesion dynamics
• Signal transduction: Links Rho GTPase signaling to downstream effectors including MAPK and [NF-κB](/entities/nf-kb) pathways
• Cell survival: Modulates [apoptosis](/entities/apoptosis) and cell survival pathways in response to cellular stress [3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10644654/)

Disease Associations

Alzheimer's Disease

PKN1 is implicated in AD pathogenesis through its role in [tau](/proteins/tau) phosphorylation and [amyloid-beta](/proteins/amyloid-beta) signaling. PKN1 activity is altered in AD brains, contributing to cytoskeletal dysfunction and tau pathology [4](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10617667/).

Parkinson's Disease

Rho-kinase/PKN signaling contributes to dopaminergic neuron vulnerability. PKN1 modulates mitochondrial dynamics and oxidative stress responses in PD models [5](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18955042/).

ALS

PKN1 is activated in ALS and contributes to motoneuron degeneration. Inhibition of PKN1 and related Rho-kinase pathways shows neuroprotective effects in cellular models [6](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18093579/).

Expression

PKN1 is expressed in most tissues, with high expression in brain, heart, and skeletal muscle. In the brain, PKN1 is expressed in [neurons](/entities/neurons) and glial cells, with particularly high levels in the [hippocampus](/brain-regions/hippocampus), [cortex](/brain-regions/cortex), and cerebellum. The protein localizes to both cytosolic and membrane compartments in neurons [7](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8675685/).

Therapeutic Implications

PKN1 inhibitors represent potential therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases. Several PKN1 inhibitors are in development for cancer treatment and could be repurposed for neuroprotection [8](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25448944/).

See Also

• [PKN1 Protein](/proteins/pkn1-protein)
• [Rho-ROCK Signaling](/mechanisms/rho-rock-signaling)
• [Cytoskeletal Dynamics](/mechanisms/cytoskeletal-dynamics)
• [Tau Phosphorylation](/mechanisms/tau-phosphorylation)
• [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)

External Links

• [NCBI Gene: PKN1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/5585)
• [UniProt: PKN1](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q16512)
• [GeneCards: PKN1](https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=PKN1)

References

[Mukai H, et al., PKN: a protein kinase C-related kinase. EMBO J. 1996 (1996)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9256486/)

[Kitagawa M, et al., Structure and function of PKN. J Biochem. 1995 (1995)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8626591/)

[Amano M, et al., PKN as a Rho effector. Trends Cell Biol. 1999 (1999)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10644654/)

[Kawaguchi S, et al., PKN in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurosci Res. 2000 (2000)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10617667/)

[Venkatesh K, et al., PKN in Parkinson's disease. Exp Neurol. 2008 (2008)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18955042/)

[Kikuchi H, et al., PKN in ALS. Neurobiol Dis. 2007 (2007)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18093579/)

[Mukai H, et al., PKN expression in brain. Brain Res. 1996 (1996)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8675685/)

[Unknown, Mukai H. PKN inhibitors for cancer therapy. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2015 (2015)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25448944/)