Alpha-protein kinase 2 (ALPK2) is also called heart alpha-protein kinase (HAK). Little functional information is known about ALPK2. In a three-dimensional colonic-crypt model, it has been identified as crucial for luminal apoptosis and expression of DNA repair-related genes, possibly in the transition of normal colonic crypt to adenoma. The ALPK2 gene may also be a novel candidate gene for inherited hypertension in Dahl rats. ALPK2 contains a C-terminal alpha-kinase domain and two immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domains. Alpha-kinase is an atypical protein kinase catalytic domain with no detectable similarity to conventional protein serine/threonine kinases. The alpha-kinase family was named after the unique mode of substrate recognition by its initial members, the Dictyostelium heavy chain kinases, which targeted protein sequences that adopt an alpha-helical conformation. More recently, alpha-kinases were found to also target residues in non-helical regions.
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",