# ALPK1

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/alpk1/  
OnCo record `alpk1` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

ALPK1 (Alpha-protein kinase 1) is a protein kinase, an enzyme that switches other proteins on by adding phosphate groups. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

## Summary

Serine/threonine-protein kinase that detects bacterial pathogen-associated molecular pattern metabolites (PAMPs) and initiates an innate immune response, a critical step for pathogen elimination and engagement of adaptive immunity. Specifically recognises and binds ADP-D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptose (ADP-Heptose), a potent PAMP present in all Gram-negative and some Gram-positive bacteria. ADP-Heptose-binding stimulates its kinase activity to phosphorylate and activate TIFA, triggering pro-inflammatory NF-kappa-B signalling.

IntOGen calls it a driver in 1 cohort (1 activating, 0 loss-of-function), covering Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: alpha kinase 1; Alpha-protein kinase 1; Lak; FLJ22670; KIAA1527
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: ALPK1
- Class: kinase
- Biology: Serine/threonine-protein kinase that detects bacterial pathogen-associated molecular pattern metabolites (PAMPs) and initiates an innate immune response, a critical step for pathogen elimination and engagement of adaptive immunity. Specifically recognises and binds ADP-D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptose (ADP-Heptose), a potent PAMP present in all Gram-negative and some Gram-positive bacteria. ADP-Heptose-binding stimulates its kinase activity to phosphorylate and activate TIFA, triggering pro-inflammatory NF-kappa-B signalling. May be involved in monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU)-induced inflammation by mediating phosphorylation of unconventional myosin MYO9A. May also play a role in apical protein transport by mediating phosphorylation of unconventional myosin MYO1A. May play a role in ciliogenesis. Location: Cytoplasm, cytosol; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, spindle pole; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, microtubule organizing center, centrosome; Cell projection, cilium (UniProt). Locus 4q25 (HGNC).
- Where found: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (PAAD)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 1 cohort. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:20917: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:20917
- UniProt Q96QP1: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q96QP1/entry
- NCBI Gene 80216: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/80216
- Ensembl ENSG00000073331: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000073331

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/)
- cancers: [Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/pancreatic/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/alpk1.json