STK33

STK33, serine/threonine kinase 33, is a protein kinase expressed in a variety of human tissues and is a member of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase family.STK33 expression in cells is controlled by cell density and is significantly higher in surgically resected specimens, such as head and neck tumours, than in normal or paraneoplastic tissues. Its mechanism of action involves autophosphorylation, which is capable of phosphorylating downstream genes, such as the Vimentin protein, and affecting their biological functions.STK33 may also affect the transcription of the C-Myc gene through a non-kinase activity-dependent pathway. In terms of signalling pathways, STK33 interacts with the ERK1/2 signalling pathway and may be involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis.

The biological significance of STK33 lies in its important role in the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of tumour cells, especially in KRAS mutation-associated tumours, where the expression of STK33 is closely related to the biological behaviour of tumour cells. Therefore, STK33 is considered a potential target for the treatment of various cancers.