PRKCE: Protein Kinase C Epsilon
A key signaling kinase in cancer, cardiac function, and neuronal regulation
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | PRKCE |
|---|---|
| Full Name | protein kinase C epsilon |
| Gene Type | protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 2p21 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 5581 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/5581 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000171132 |
| UniProt ID | Q02156 |
| OMIM ID | 176975 |
| HGNC ID | 9399 |
| Aliases | PKCE, nPKC-epsilon |
Description
PRKCE (protein kinase C epsilon) is a member of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of serine/threonine kinases. It is a novel PKC isoform that is calcium-independent but requires diacylglycerol (DAG) and phospholipids for activation. PRKCE plays critical roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and migration. It is implicated in cardiac hypertrophy, ischemic preconditioning, cancer progression, and neuronal signaling. The gene is located on chromosome 2p21 and encodes a 737-amino acid protein.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiac Hypertrophy | PRKCE activation promotes hypertrophic signaling via phosphorylation of downstream targets such as GATA4 and ERK1/2. | PMID: 14581480; OMIM 176975 |
| Ischemic Heart Disease | PRKCE mediates cardioprotective ischemic preconditioning through mitochondrial KATP channels and reactive oxygen species. | PMID: 11823453; NCBI Gene |
| Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer | PRKCE overexpression correlates with increased invasion and metastasis via activation of Akt and ERK pathways. | PMID: 22926525; COSMIC |
| Glioblastoma | PRKCE promotes tumor cell survival and resistance to apoptosis through NF-κB and STAT3 signaling. | PMID: 23319682; COSMIC |
| Breast Cancer | PRKCE expression is associated with poor prognosis and tamoxifen resistance via ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways. | PMID: 17563799; COSMIC |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Brain | 12.3 | Medium |
| Heart | 8.7 | Medium |
| Lung | 6.2 | Low |
| Liver | 4.1 | Low |
| Kidney | 7.5 | Medium |
| Skeletal Muscle | 5.9 | Low |
| Pancreas | 3.8 | Low |
| Spleen | 2.1 | Not detected |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A549 (Lung) | 10.5 | High expression; associated with invasive phenotype |
| MCF7 (Breast) | 8.2 | Medium expression; linked to tamoxifen resistance |
| U87MG (Glioblastoma) | 11.1 | High expression; promotes survival |
| HEK293 (Embryonic Kidney) | 6.7 | Medium expression; used in functional studies |
| H9c2 (Cardiomyocyte) | 9.3 | High expression; involved in hypertrophy |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.1253A>G (p.Asn418Ser) | Missense | <0.01% | Alters kinase activity; reported in COSMIC |
| c.1672C>T (p.Arg558Trp) | Missense | <0.01% | Potential loss of function; ClinVar |
| c.2144G>A (p.Arg715Gln) | Missense | <0.01% | Unknown significance; COSMIC |
| c.1018C>T (p.Arg340Cys) | Missense | <0.01% | Reported in cancer samples; COSMIC |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Mutations that reduce kinase activity or disrupt DAG binding (e.g., p.Arg558Trp) may impair downstream signaling.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Activating mutations (e.g., p.Asn418Ser) can enhance kinase activity, promoting oncogenic signaling.
Dominant Negative (DN)
No well-characterized dominant-negative mutations reported in PRKCE.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
Pathways
• hsa04010 - MAPK signaling pathway
• hsa04020 - Calcium signaling pathway
• hsa04151 - PI3K-Akt signaling pathway
• hsa04210 - Apoptosis
• hsa04931 - Insulin resistance
• hsa05034 - Alcoholism
• hsa05200 - Pathways in cancer
• hsa05418 - Fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis
Protein Summary
Protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) is a 737-amino acid serine/threonine kinase encoded by the PRKCE gene. It belongs to the novel PKC subfamily, which is calcium-independent but requires DAG and phosphatidylserine for activation. PKCε contains a C2 domain (lacking calcium-binding residues), two C1 domains (C1A and C1B) that bind DAG, and a kinase domain. It is widely expressed in brain, heart, lung, and kidney. PKCε regulates diverse cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, and cardiac contractility. It is a key mediator of cardiac ischemic preconditioning and is implicated in cancer progression, particularly in lung, breast, and brain tumors. Post-translational modifications include phosphorylation at Thr566 (activation loop) and Ser729 (hydrophobic motif), which are essential for full kinase activity.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRKCE Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ1429 | Human | 5581 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRKCE Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20972 | Human | 5581 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRKCE Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20973 | Human | 5581 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRKCE Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20974 | Human | 5581 | Details Get a Quote |
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