Details for: STK31

Gene ID: 56164

Gene Type:  Protein-coding  - A gene that serves as a template for producing a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, which is then translated into a functional protein.

Symbol: STK31

Ensembl ID: ENSG00000196335

Description: serine/threonine kinase 31

Cell Significance Landscape

Associated with

Significant Cells

Cell Significance Index (CSI) scores for the chosen context(s)

  • pvalb GABAergic cortical interneuron CL4023018
    CSI 3.13
    rCSI 3.89%
    PRS 98.8
  • retinal pigment epithelial cell CL0002586
    CSI 2.79
    rCSI 5.54%
    PRS 99.25
  • direct pathway medium spiny neuron CL4023026
    CSI 0.33
    rCSI 8.02%
    PRS 98.03
  • indirect pathway medium spiny neuron CL4023029
    CSI 0.33
    rCSI 7.99%
    PRS 98.03

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this specific cell.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.
Network Configuration

Explore relationships of the current gene. Select an Interaction Source: 'ONTOLOGY' for shared pathways (GO/Reactome) or 'STRING' for protein-protein interactions. Further refine by selecting context genes and comparing Cell Significance Index (CSI) scores between baseline and target cell types and their specific contexts.

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  • Node Color (Target Cell CSI, relative to current network):
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    • High
    • Medium
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    • CSI N/A
  • Node Size: Proportional to Target Cell CSI magnitude
  • STRING PPI Edge
  • Shared Pathway Edge (ONTOLOGY)

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Other Information

This section provides additional information about the gene, including a description generated by an AI language model and details about associated proteins.

## Summary [STK31](/details-gene/56164) (Serine/Threonine Kinase 31) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 7 that encodes a kinase. Functional annotations suggest its involvement in fundamental cellular processes, including [protein phosphorylation](/details-go/GO:0006468) and [chromatin remodeling](/details-go/GO:0006338), with specific activity as a [histone H2AS1 kinase](/details-go/GO:0044024). **Overall**, expression data indicates a highly specialized role for [STK31](/details-gene/56164), with significant expression primarily observed in specific neuronal subtypes, such as [pvalb GABAergic cortical interneurons](/details-cell/CL4023018), and in [retinal pigment epithelial cells](/details-cell/CL0002586). This restricted expression pattern, combined with its function in modifying chromatin, suggests it may be a key regulator of cell-type-specific gene expression programs in the central nervous system and the eye. ## Cellular Roles and Expression Landscape The expression profile of [STK31](/details-gene/56164) points to a specialized function within the nervous system and ocular tissues. **Overall**, the gene shows its most significant expression in [pvalb GABAergic cortical interneurons](/details-cell/CL4023018) (CSI: 3.13) and [retinal pigment epithelial cells](/details-cell/CL0002586) (CSI: 2.79). Its notable, albeit lower, significance in both [direct pathway medium spiny neurons](/details-cell/CL4023026) (CSI: 0.33) and [indirect pathway medium spiny neurons](/details-cell/CL4023029) (CSI: 0.33) further reinforces its role within discrete neuronal populations critical for motor control and cortical inhibition. This specific expression pattern suggests that [STK31](/details-gene/56164) is not a broadly expressed housekeeping kinase but rather a specialized enzyme involved in maintaining the unique identity and function of these terminally differentiated cells. In addition to these roles, literature has reported its expression in spermatogonia [Link](https://doi.org/10.1038/86927), a finding supported by its annotated localization to the [acrosomal vesicle](/details-go/GO:0001669), suggesting a potential function in male fertility and gametogenesis that may not be captured in the provided expression datasets. ## Pathways and Molecular Function The molecular functions attributed to [STK31](/details-gene/56164) align with its identity as a protein kinase. It is annotated with [ATP binding](/details-go/GO:0005524) and [protein serine kinase activity](/details-go/GO:0106310), which are characteristic of this enzyme class. More specifically, its designation as having [histone h2as1 kinase activity](/details-go/GO:0044024) and involvement in the biological process of [chromatin remodeling](/details-go/GO:0006338) is particularly noteworthy. This function suggests a direct role for [STK31](/details-gene/56164) in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. By phosphorylating histone H2AS1, [STK31](/details-gene/56164) may alter chromatin structure, thereby influencing the transcriptional state of target genes. This mechanism is consistent with its high expression in specialized cells like neurons and retinal pigment epithelia, where stable, long-term maintenance of specific gene expression programs is crucial for cellular identity and function. Its localization to the [acrosomal vesicle](/details-go/GO:0001669) in sperm cells suggests a distinct role in this compartment, possibly related to phosphorylating substrates necessary for the acrosome reaction during fertilization. ## Research Directions The specific expression of [STK31](/details-gene/56164) in distinct neuronal and retinal cells, coupled with its role in chromatin modification, presents several avenues for future research. **Proposed Hypotheses:** 1. [STK31](/details-gene/56164) acts as a master regulator in [pvalb GABAergic cortical interneurons](/details-cell/CL4023018) by phosphorylating histone H2AS1 at key gene loci, thereby establishing and maintaining the specific transcriptional signature required for their inhibitory function in cortical circuits. 2. In [retinal pigment epithelial cells](/details-cell/CL0002586), the kinase activity of [STK31](/details-gene/56164) is essential for regulating stress-response pathways or phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments, and its dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of retinal degenerative diseases. 3. The localization of [STK31](/details-gene/56164) to the [acrosomal vesicle](/details-go/GO:0001669) is critical for male fertility, where it phosphorylates specific protein substrates required for the structural integrity or enzymatic activation of the acrosome during fertilization. **Experimental Approach:** To test the first hypothesis, a cell-type-specific conditional knockout of [STK31](/details-gene/56164) could be generated in mice using a Cre-Lox system with a Pvalb-Cre driver line. Cortical tissue from these knockout and control animals would then be analyzed. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) using an antibody specific for phosphorylated H2AS1 could identify the direct genomic targets of [STK31](/details-gene/56164]. This could be combined with single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) of sorted [pvalb GABAergic cortical interneurons](/details-cell/CL4023018) to determine how the loss of [STK31](/details-gene/56164) and subsequent changes in histone phosphorylation affect the global transcriptome and the expression of genes critical for neuronal function. **Therapeutic Potential:** As an intracellular kinase, [STK31](/details-gene/56164) is a potentially druggable target. Its highly restricted expression pattern is advantageous, as a targeted inhibitor might have limited off-target effects in other tissues. If somatic mutations in [STK31](/details-gene/56164), as have been cataloged in cancer genomes [Link](https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05610), are found to be driver mutations in specific subtypes of brain or ocular cancers, developing a small molecule inhibitor could be a viable therapeutic strategy. Conversely, if loss-of-function is linked to neurodegenerative or retinal diseases, strategies to enhance its activity or that of its downstream pathway could be explored, although this is generally more challenging. The primary therapeutic approach would likely be inhibition, contingent on a clear gain-of-function role in a specific pathology.

Genular Protein ID: 2293571215

Symbol: STK31_HUMAN

Name: Serine/threonine-protein kinase 31

UniProtKB Accession Codes:

Q9BXU1 B4DZ06 B7WPP5 C9J4F9 Q6PCD3 Q9BXH8

Database IDs:

AGR 1 AlphaFoldDB 1 Antibodypedia 1 BRENDA 1 Bgee 1 BindingDB 1 BioGRID 1 BioGRID-ORCS 1 BioMuta 1 CCDS 3 CDD 1 CTD 1 ChEBI 12 ChEMBL 1 DMDM 1 DNASU 1 DisGeNET 1 EC 3 EMBL 6 Ensembl 3 ExpressionAtlas 1 GO 4 Gene3D 3 GeneCards 1 GeneTree 1 GenomeRNAi 1 GlyGen 1 GuidetoPHARMACOLOGY 1 HGNC 1 HOGENOM 1 HPA 1 InParanoid 1 IntAct 1 InterPro 6 KEGG 1 MANE-Select 1 MIM 1 MINT 1 MassIVE 1 NCBI Taxonomy 1 OMA 1 OpenTargets 1 OrthoDB 1 PANTHER 2 PRO 1 PROSITE 2 PathwayCommons 1 PaxDb 1 PeptideAtlas 1 Pfam 2 PharmGKB 1 Pharos 1 PhosphoSitePlus 1 PhylomeDB 1 Proteomes 1 ProteomicsDB 3 RNAct 1 RefSeq 4 Rhea 6 SMART 2 STRING 1 SUPFAM 3 SignaLink 1 TreeFam 1 UCSC 1 VEuPathDB 1 eggNOG 1 iPTMnet 1 neXtProt 1

Citations:

PubMed ID: 11279525

Title: An abundance of X-linked genes expressed in spermatogonia.

PubMed ID: 11279525

DOI: 10.1038/86927

PubMed ID: 14702039

Title: Complete sequencing and characterization of 21,243 full-length human cDNAs.

PubMed ID: 14702039

DOI: 10.1038/ng1285

PubMed ID: 12853948

Title: The DNA sequence of human chromosome 7.

PubMed ID: 12853948

DOI: 10.1038/nature01782

PubMed ID: 15489334

Title: The status, quality, and expansion of the NIH full-length cDNA project: the Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC).

PubMed ID: 15489334

DOI: 10.1101/gr.2596504

PubMed ID: 17344846

Title: Patterns of somatic mutation in human cancer genomes.

PubMed ID: 17344846

DOI: 10.1038/nature05610

Sequence Information:

  • Length: 1019
  • Mass: 115694
  • Checksum: C2EFF005A820E102
  • Sequence:
    • MWVQGHSSRA SATESVSFSG IVQMDEDTHY DKVEDVVGSH IEDAVTFWAQ SINRNKDIMK 
IGCSLSEVCP QASSVLGNLD PNKIYGGLFS EDQCWYRCKV LKIISVEKCL VRYIDYGNTE 
ILNRSDIVEI PLELQFSSVA KKYKLWGLHI PSDQEVTQFD QGTTFLGSLI FEKEIKMRIK 
ATSEDGTVIA QAEYGSVDIG EEVLKKGFAE KCRLASRTDI CEEKKLDPGQ LVLRNLKSPI 
PLWGHRSNQS TFSRPKGHLS EKMTLDLKDE NDAGNLITFP KESLAVGDFN LGSNVSLEKI 
KQDQKLIEEN EKLKTEKDAL LESYKALELK VEQIAQELQQ EKAAAVDLTN HLEYTLKTYI 
DTRMKNLAAK MEILKEMRHV DISVRFGKDL SDAIQVLDEG CFTTPASLNG LEIIWAEYSL 
AQENIKTCEY VSEGNILIAQ RNEMQQKLYM SVEDFILEVD ESSLNKRLKT LQDLSVSLEA 
VYGQAKEGAN SDEILKKFYD WKCDKREEFT SVRSETDASL HRLVAWFQRT LKVFDLSVEG 
SLISEDAMDN IDEILEKTES SVCKELEIAL VDQGDADKEI ISNTYSQVLQ KIHSEERLIA 
TVQAKYKDSI EFKKQLIEYL NKSPSVDHLL SIKKTLKSLK ALLRWKLVEK SNLEESDDPD 
GSQIEKIKEE ITQLRNNVFQ EIYHEREEYE MLTSLAQKWF PELPLLHPEI GLLKYMNSGG 
LLTMSLERDL LDAEPMKELS SKRPLVRSEV NGQIILLKGY SVDVDTEAKV IERAATYHRA 
WREAEGDSGL LPLIFLFLCK SDPMAYLMVP YYPRANLNAV QANMPLNSEE TLKVMKGVAQ 
GLHTLHKADI IHGSLHQNNV FALNREQGIV GDFDFTKSVS QRASVNMMVG DLSLMSPELK 
MGKPASPGSD LYAYGCLLLW LSVQNQEFEI NKDGIPKVDQ FHLDDKVKSL LCSLICYRSS 
MTAEQVLNAE CFLMPKEQSV PNPEKDTEYT LYKKEEEIKT ENLDKCMEKT RNGEANFDC

Genular Protein ID: 2176393885

Symbol: B3KY91_HUMAN

Name: N/A

UniProtKB Accession Codes:

B3KY91

Database IDs:

AlphaFoldDB 1 BioGRID-ORCS 1 CTD 1 DNASU 1 DisGeNET 1 EMBL 2 GO 2 Gene3D 1 InterPro 3 NCBI Taxonomy 1 OrthoDB 1 PANTHER 2 PROSITE 2 PeptideAtlas 1 Pfam 1 RefSeq 1 SMART 1 SUPFAM 1

Sequence Information:

  • Length: 576
  • Mass: 65777
  • Checksum: 4F2516139B94BA81
  • Sequence:
    • MQQKLYMSVE DFILEVDESS LNKRLKTLQD LSVSLEAVYG QAKEGANSDE ILKKFYDWKC 
DKREEFTSVR SETDASLHRL VAWFQRTLKV FDLSVEGSLI SEDAMDNIDE ILEKTESSVC 
KELEIALVDQ GDADKEIISN TYSQVLQKIH SEERLIATVQ AKYKDSIEFK KQLIEYLNKS 
PSVDHLLSIK KTLKSLKALL RWKLVEKSNL EESDDPDGSQ IEKIKEEITQ LRNNVFQEIY 
HEREEYEMLT SLAQKWFPEL PLLHPEIGLL KYMNSGGLLT MSLERDLLDA EPMKELSSKR 
PLVRSEVNGQ IILLKGYSVD VDTEAKVIER AATYHRAWRE AEGDSGLLPL IFLFLCKSDP 
MAYLMVPYYP RANLNAVQAN MPLNSEETLK VMKGVAQGLH TLHKADIIHG SLHQNNVFAL 
NREQGIVGDF DFTKSVSQRA SVNMMVGDLS LMSPELKMGK PASPGSDLYA YGCLLLWLSV 
QNQEFEINKD GIPKVDQFHL DDKVKSLLCS LICYRSSMTA EQVLNAECFL MPKEQSVPNP 
EKDTEYTLYK KEEEIKTENL DKCMEKTRNG EANFDC

Genular Protein ID: 1216257925

Symbol: A0A140VKG1_HUMAN

Name: N/A

UniProtKB Accession Codes:

A0A140VKG1

Database IDs:

AlphaFoldDB 1 Antibodypedia 1 BioGRID-ORCS 1 CDD 1 CTD 1 DNASU 1 DisGeNET 1 EMBL 2 ExpressionAtlas 1 GO 2 Gene3D 3 InterPro 6 NCBI Taxonomy 1 OMA 1 OrthoDB 1 PANTHER 2 PROSITE 4 Pfam 2 RefSeq 3 SAM 1 SMART 2 SMR 1 SUPFAM 3 VEuPathDB 1

Sequence Information:

  • Length: 996
  • Mass: 113260
  • Checksum: E9D528F7DE7D2CDC
  • Sequence:
    • MDEDTHYDKV EDVVGSHIED AVTFWAQSIN RNKDIMKIGC SLSEVCPQAS SVLGNLDPNK 
IYGGLFSEDQ CWYRCKVLKI ISVEKCLVRY IDYGNTEILN RSDIVEIPLE LQFSSVAKKY 
KLWGLHIPSD QEVTQFDQGT TFLGSLIFEK EIKMRIKATS EDGTVIAQAE YGSVDIGEEV 
LKKGFAEKCR LASRTDICEE KKLDPGQLVL RNLKSPIPLW GHRSNQSTFS RPKGHLSEKM 
TLDLKDENDA GNLITFPKES LAVGDFNLGS NVSLEKIKQD QKLIEENEKL KTEKDALLES 
YKALELKVEQ IAQELQQEKA AAVDLTNHLE YTLKTYIDTR MKNLAAKMEI LKEMRHVDIS 
VRFGKDLSDA IQVLDEGCFT TPASLNGLEI IWAEYSLAQE NIKTCEYVSE GNILIAQRNE 
MQQKLYMSVE DFILEVDESS LNKRLKTLQD LSVSLEAVYG QAKEGANSDE ILKKFYDWKC 
DKREEFTSVR SETDASLHRL VAWFQRTLKV FDLSVEGSLI SEDAMDNIDE ILEKTESSVC 
KELEIALVDQ GDADKEIISN TYSQVLQKIH SEERLIATVQ AKYKDSIEFK KQLIEYLNKS 
PSVDHLLSIK KTLKSLKALL RWKLVEKSNL EESDDPDGSQ IEKIKEEITQ LRNNVFQEIY 
HEREEYEMLT SLAQKWFPEL PLLHPEIGLL KYMNSGGLLT MSLERDLLDA EPMKELSSKR 
PLVRSEVNGQ IILLKGYSVD VDTEAKVIER AATYHRAWRE AEGDSGLLPL IFLFLCKSDP 
MAYLMVPYYP RANLNAVQAN MPLNSEETLK VMKGVAQGLH TLHKADIIHG SLHQNNVFAL 
NREQGIVGDF DFTKSVSQRA SVNMMVGDLS LMSPELKMGK PASPGSDLYA YGCLLLWLSV 
QNQEFEINKD GIPKVDQFHL DDKVKSLLCS LICYRSSMTA EQVLNAECFL MPKEQSVPNP 
EKDTEYTLYK KEEEIKTENL DKCMEKTRNG EANFDC