Human NIK Xpress Clones

NIK (for NFkB-inducing kinase) is a serine/threonine protein kinase of 947-amino acid. The gene was originally from a B-cell cDNA library. The gene was later renamed as mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 14 after the emergence of many kinases involved in the MAP kinase cascade.

NIK binds to TRAF2 and stimulates NF-kappaB activity. It shares sequence similarity with several other MAPKK kinases. It participates in an NF-kappaB-inducing signalling cascade common to receptors of the tumour-necrosis/nerve-growth factor (TNF/NGF) family and to the interleukin-1 type-I receptors.

K429 is catalytically essential, and hence K429/430A mutant is kinase-deficient and can be used to inhibit the NIK activity in cells (i.e. dominant negative). NIK will be activated when T559 is phosphorylated. Alanine substitution of T559 abolishes its activity and its ability to phosphorylate and activate IKKalpha. T559A mutant also dominantly interferes with TNF-a induction of NF-kB, presumably by quenching its upstream activators.

Gene Name: Homo sapiens mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 14 (MAP3K14); AKA: NFkB-Inducing Kinase (NIK); Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase NIK (HSNIK); HS, FTDCR1B.