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Kinase

A kinase is an enzyme designed to transfer phosphate groups from ATP and similar high-energy molecules to specific target molecules called substrates through a process called "phosphorylation." Because of this function, kinases and other enzymes that remove phosphate groups are called phosphatases.

Phosphorylation "energizes" a molecule, giving it adequate energy to participate in a specified reaction without losing energy it needs. Divalent metal ions like Mg2+ or Mn2+ will always be present in a kinase; these ions stabilize the highly energetic (and thus prone to instability) bonds of the donor molecule, acting as a catalyst for phosphorylation.

The most important kinase group are the protein kinases, which act on specific proteins to control complex cellular processes. Other kinases act on lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, nucleotides, and other organic molecules to signal or prime them for metabolic biochemical reactions. These kinases include:

* Adenylate kinase
* Creatine kinase;
* Pyruvate kinase;
* Hexokinase;
* Nucleotide diphosphate kinase;
* Thymidine kinase.

Web Resources On Kinase

Protein Kinase Gene Resource
The Protein Kinase Resource

Book Resources On Kinase

Protein Kinase Functions by James Robert Woodgett
Protein Kinase Facts Book by Hardie & Hanks

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