Reaction: ATP + [elongation factor 2] = ADP + [elongation factor 2] phosphate
Other name(s): Ca/CaM-kinase III; calmodulin-dependent protein kinase III; CaM kinase III; eEF2 kinase; eEF2K; EF2K; STK19
Systematic name: ATP:[elongation factor 2] phosphotransferase
Comments: Requires Ca2+ and calmodulin for activity. The enzyme can also be phosphorylated by the catalytic subunit of EC 2.7.11.11, cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Elongation factor 2 is phosphorylated in several cell types in response to various growth factors, hormones and other stimuli that raise intracellular Ca2+ [1,2].
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, Metacyc, PDB, CAS registry number: 116283-83-1
References:
1. Mitsui, K., Brady, M., Palfrey, H.C. and Nairn, A.C. Purification and characterization of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase III from rabbit reticulocytes and rat pancreas. J. Biol. Chem. 268 (1993) 13422-13433. [PMID: 8514778]
2. Hincke, M.T. and Nairn, A.C. Phosphorylation of elongation factor 2 during Ca2+-mediated secretion from rat parotid acini. Biochem. J. 282 (1992) 877-882. [PMID: 1372803]
3. Knebel, A., Morrice, N. and Cohen, P. A novel method to identify protein kinase substrates: eEF2 kinase is phosphorylated and inhibited by SAPK4/p38δ. EMBO J. 20 (2001) 4360-4369. [PMID: 11500363]
4. Sans, M.D., Xie, Q. and Williams, J.A. Regulation of translation elongation and phosphorylation of eEF2 in rat pancreatic acini. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 319 (2004) 144-151. [PMID: 15158453]
5. Browne, G.J., Finn, S.G. and Proud, C.G. Stimulation of the AMP-activated protein kinase leads to activation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase and to its phosphorylation at a novel site, serine 398. J. Biol. Chem. 279 (2004) 12220-12231. [PMID: 14709557]
6. Ryazanov, A.G. Elongation factor-2 kinase and its newly discovered relatives. FEBS Lett.514 (2002) 26-29. [PMID: 11904175]