Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 is an enzyme

Enzyme

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...

 that in humans is encoded by the CAMKK2 gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

.

Function

The product of this gene belongs to the serine/threonine-specific protein kinase

Serine/threonine-specific protein kinase

Serine/threonine protein kinases phosphorylate the OH group of serine or threonine .At least 125 of the 500+ human protein kinases are serine/threonine kinases .-Regulation:...

 family, and to the Ca⁺⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase

/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases II or CaM kinases II are serine/threonine-specific protein kinases that are regulated by the /calmodulin complex...

 subfamily. This protein plays a role in the calcium/calmodulin-dependent (CaM) kinase cascade by phosphorylating the downstream kinases CaMK1

CAMK1

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the CAMK1 gene.-Further reading:...

 and CaMK4

CAMK4

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type IV is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the CAMK4 gene.-Further reading:...

.

CaMKK2 regulates production of the appetite stimulating hormone neuropeptide Y

Neuropeptide Y

Neuropeptide Y is a 36-amino acid peptide neurotransmitter found in the brain and autonomic nervous system."NPY has been associated with a number of physiologic processes in the brain, including the regulation of energy balance, memory and learning, and epilepsy." The main effect is increased food...

 and functions as an AMPK

AMP-activated protein kinase

5' AMP-activated protein kinase or AMPK or 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase is an enzyme that plays a role in cellular energy homeostasis. It consists of three proteins that together make a functional enzyme, conserved from yeast to humans. It is expressed in a number of...

 kinase in the hypothalamus

Hypothalamus

The Hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions...

. It also has an important role in the development of hyperalgesia

Hyperalgesia

Hyperalgesia is an increased sensitivity to pain, which may be caused by damage to nociceptors or peripheral nerves. Temporary increased sensitivity to pain also occurs as part of sickness behavior, the evolved response to infection.-Types:...

 and tolerance to opioid

Opioid

An opioid is a psychoactive chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central and peripheral nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract...

 analgesic drugs, through reduction in downstream signalling pathways and mu opioid receptor

Mu Opioid receptor

The μ-opioid receptors are a class of opioid receptors with high affinity for enkephalins and beta-endorphin but low affinity for dynorphins. They are also referred to as μ opioid peptide receptors. The prototypical μ receptor agonist is the opium alkaloid morphine; μ refers to morphine...

downregulation. Inhibition of CaMKK2 in mice reduces appetite and promotes weight loss.

Isoforms

Seven transcript variants encoding six distinct isoforms have been identified for this gene. Additional splice variants have been described but their full-length nature has not been determined. The identified isoforms exhibit a distinct ability to undergo autophosphorylation and to phosphorylate the downstream kinases.

Further reading