CDPK Antibodies

Target Information

CDPK genes encode calcium-dependent protein kinases that function as intracellular Ca2+ sensors and effectors, typically localized in the cytosol and at membranes via variable N-terminal segments that can confer targeting and dynamic compartment association. CDPK proteins have a conserved modular architecture consisting of an N-terminal variable region followed by a serine/threonine kinase catalytic domain, an autoinhibitory junction segment, and a C-terminal calmodulin-like regulatory domain containing EF-hand Ca2+-binding motifs; in the absence of Ca2+, the junction acts as a pseudosubstrate to maintain an autoinhibited conformation, while Ca2+ binding to the EF hands triggers conformational rearrangement of the regulatory domain to relieve inhibition and activate kinase activity. In apicomplexan parasites, including Plasmodium falciparum, CDPK1 exemplifies this mechanism and is required for key steps in the blood-stage cycle, where Ca2+-dependent activation of the kinase promotes secretion-linked invasion processes and regulates phosphorylation networks important for erythrocyte invasion and parasite development.

Synonyms

calcium-dependent protein kinase; CDPK; CPK