| Gene Symbol | MARK2 |
| Protein Type | Serine/Threonine Kinase |
| Function | is a serine/threonine kinase that phosphorylates microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) including tau, regulating microtubule dynamics and neuronal polarity. |
| Molecular Weight | 80 kDa |
| Pathways | AMPK |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000072518 |
| GeneCards | MARK2 |
| Human Protein Atlas | MARK2 |
| Ser262 phosphorylation | The primary MARK2 target on tau; phosphorylation at this site alone reduces tau-microtubule binding by ~10-fold |
| Ser356 phosphorylation | Second major target; combined Ser262/Ser356 phosphorylation virtually abolishes tau-microtubule interaction |
| Microtubule destabilization | By detaching tau, MARK2 increases microtubule dynamic instability, enabling cytoskeletal remodeling |
| Transport regulation | MARK2-mediated tau phosphorylation clears microtubule tracks, facilitating kinesin and dynein-dependent axonal transport |
| Axon specification | MARK2 activity is required for the break in symmetry that selects one neurite to become the axon |
| Par complex interaction | MARK2 phosphorylates Par-3 (PARD3), disrupting the Par-3/Par-6/aPKC polarity complex and establishing axonal identity |
| Growth cone dynamics | Regulates actin-microtubule cross-talk at the growth cone through MAP phosphorylation |
| Associated Diseases | ALS, autism spectrum disorder |
| Interactions | AUTOPHAGY |
| KG Connections | 19 knowledge graph edges |
| Databases | GeneCardsUniProtNCBI GeneHPASTRING |