Protein Kinase CK2: 2

Protein kinases play a critical role in cellular processes that impact overall organismal health and function. Of the kinases that collectively make up the Human Kinome, CK2 has garnered special attention because of its significant role in the generation of the human phosphoproteome. The role CK2 plays in the development of cancer and other disease has also made it of significant interest for its potential role in future therapeutics. Protein Kinase CK2 comprehensively brings together the varied work being done on this critical enzyme.

Protein Kinase CK2 is logically divided into three sections. The first section reviews key molecular and structural aspects of the enzyme. The second section looks at functional aspects of CK2 and the diverse roles it plays in cellular development, function, and health. The final section focuses on CK2 and cancer, looking at the impacts of the kinase on neoplastic development and its rapidly developing role as a therapeutic agent.

With contributions from the world’s leading experts in the field, Protein Kinase CK2 will serve as an invaluable guide to the expanding and vibrant body of research being performed on this enzyme. This will be an essential volume for anyone working in the fields of biochemistry, protein science, signal transduction, metabolic regulation, and cancer biology and therapeutics.

Editor
Lorenzo A. Pinna is Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Padua, Padua, Italy.

Also Published in the Wiley-IUBMB Series on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology:

Plant Phenolics and Human Health: Biochemistry, Nutrition, and Pharmacology
Edited by Cesar G. Fraga
ISBN: 978-0-470-28721-7

Lorenzo A. Pinna received his B. Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Padova in 1962. From 1965-66 he was postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Physiological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University Medical School, Baltimore, USA. In 1975 he was appointed Professor of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry and in 1988 Director of the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of Padova. A pioneer in the field of CK2 research, his research interests encompass various aspects of protein phosphorylation, with special reference to the design of synthetic peptide substrates for the specific monitoring of protein kinases and the assessment of the biological role and pathogenic potential of protein kinase CK2.