Anti-ULK3 Antibody Picoband® Fluoro488 Conjugated

Serine/threonine protein kinase that acts as a regulator of Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling and autophagy. In search of potential homologues to Drosophila and human Fu, people have cloned human serine/threonine kinase ULK3 and assessed its ability to regulate GLI transcription factors, mediators of SHH signaling. And ULK3 enhances endogenous and over-expressed GLI1 and GLI2 transcriptional activity in cultured cells, as assessed by GLI-luciferase reporter assay. Besides that, ULK3 alters subcellular localization of GLI1, as assessed by immunofluorescent staining and immunoblotting assays. It is showed that ULK3 is an autophosphorylated kinase and phosphorylates GLI proteins in vitro. Also, ULK3 catalytical activity is crucial for its function in SHH pathway. It is demonstrated that ULK3 is widely expressed and its expression is higher in a number of tissues where Shh signaling is known to be active. The data suggest that serine/threonine kinase ULK3 is involved in the SHH pathway as a positive regulator of GLI proteins.

Widely expressed. Highest levels observed in fetal brain. In adult tissues, high levels in brain, liver and kidney, moderate levels in testis and adrenal gland and low levels in heart, lung, stomach, thymus, prostate and placenta. In the brain, highest expression in the hippocampus, high levels also detected in the cerebellum, olfactory bulb and optic nerve. In the central nervous system, lowest levels in the spinal cord. .

Serine/threonine protein kinase that acts as a regulator of Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling and autophagy. Acts as a negative regulator of SHH signaling in the absence of SHH ligand: interacts with SUFU, thereby inactivating the protein kinase activity and preventing phosphorylation of GLI proteins (GLI1, GLI2 and/or GLI3) . Positively regulates SHH signaling in the presence of SHH: dissociates from SUFU, autophosphorylates and mediates phosphorylation of GLI2, activating it and promoting its nuclear translocation. Phosphorylates in vitro GLI2, as well as GLI1 and GLI3, although less efficiently. Also acts as a regulator of autophagy: following cellular senescence, able to induce autophagy. .

1. Maloverjan A; Piirsoo M; Michelson P; Kogerman P; Osterlund T. “Identification of a novel serine/threonine kinase ULK3 as a positive regulator of Hedgehog pathway”. Exp Cell Res, 2010 Feb 15.