Scientists from University of Helsinki, Institute of Molecular Medicine in Finland and OriGene Technologies joined effort in creating the most comprehensive kinome collection of nearly all predicted human protein kinases, including the functional kinases and their kinase-deficient counterparts. Equipped with this collection, the authors successfully identified novel kinase regulators in Hedgehog signaling pathway and in activation of Karposi's Sarcoma herpesvirus.
The results are published in the May 2nd issue of Cell, titled "Application of active and kinase-deficient kinome collection for identification of kinase regulating Hedgehog signaling."
The uniqueness of the study lies in the kinome expression screening approach in interrogating the gene functions in biological pathways. Screening the collection in a cell-culture model of Hedgehog signaling pathway, the authors were able to quickly identify two novel regulator kinases, DYRK2 and MAP3K10. The study demonstrated the kinome collection as a powerful tool for systematic and quantitative analysis of signaling cross-talk and identification of novel regulatory kinases.
"The isolated kinase genes form a resource that scientists can now use to systematically map kinase signaling networks in different cellular disease models," stated Professor Taipale, senior author of the article. "The kinases are also promising targets for therapeutic intervention in the treatment various cancers."