Serum/glucocorticoid regulated kinase 2 Adenovirus (Ad-SGK2)

This gene encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase. Although this gene product is similar to serum- and glucocorticoid-induced protein kinase (SGK), this gene is not induced by serum or glucocorticoids. This gene is induced in response to signals that activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, which is also true for SGK. The AGC family of protein kinases, which includes protein kinases A, G, and C, are activated in response to many extracellular signals and play key roles in regulating diverse cellular processes. AGC family members are activated by the phosphorylation of the T loop of their kinase domain by PDK1 and by phosphorylation of a residue located C-terminal to the kinase domain in the hydrophobic motif. Both Akt1 (also known as protein kinase B or PKB) and the Akt-related kinase, Akt2, are rapidly and specifically activated by diverse ligands such as PDGF, EGF, and basic FGF. A third family member, Akt3 (also designated protein kinase B gamma or thyoma viral proto-oncogene 3), is involved in adipocyte and muscle differentiation, glycogen synthesis, glucose uptake, apoptosis and cellular proliferation upon activation by insulin. A fourth family member, SGK, has a catalytic domain similar to Akt1.