Akt Signaling

Question 1: What is Another name for Akt?

Answer: 

Another name for Akt is protein kinase B (PKB). It is so named because it is a member of the serine/threonine protein kinase family and is the second member (B) of this family to be discovered. The first one is called PKA (protein kinase A). The Akt name is an acronym of the word “RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase”, an early name of the protein because of the gene from which it was first isolated, RAC-PK-alpha.

Question 2: How is Akt Activated?

Answer: 

Akt is activated by phosphorylation on specific residues within the activation loop, which is mediated by PDK1 and PDK2. PDK1 and PDK2 are activated by phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), which is produced by the action of class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) on phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). PI3Ks are activated by growth factors and other stimuli that bind to cell surface receptors.

Question 3: What are some downstream targets of Akt?

Answer: 

Some downstream targets of Akt include the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), transcription factors, cytoskeletal proteins, and enzymes involved in metabolism.

Question 4: What Enzyme is AKT?

Answer: 

Akt, also known as protein kinase B (PKB), is a serine/threonine protein kinase, an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to a specific serine or threonine residue in a target protein.

Question 5: What does PI3K Akt stand for?

Answer: 

PI3K is an enzyme that helps to regulate cell growth and survival by converting a molecule called phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) into phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3). PIP3 then acts as a second messenger to activate downstream signaling pathways, including the Akt/mTOR pathway.

Question 6: What does the Akt mTOR pathway do?

Answer: 

The Akt/mTOR pathway is a signaling pathway that plays a critical role in regulating cell growth and metabolism. The pathway is activated by growth factors such as insulin, and it controls the activity of mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin), a protein that promotes cell growth and proliferation.

Akt, also known as protein kinase B, is a signaling protein that plays a key role in many cellular processes, including cell growth, proliferation, and survival. It is activated by a variety of stimuli, including growth factors, hormones, and stress signals, and it functions by phosphorylating (adding a phosphate group to) a variety of downstream proteins, which leads to changes in their activity.