PRKCI: Protein Kinase C Iota – A Key Oncogenic Kinase in Cancer Signaling
Comprehensive genomic and functional overview of PRKCI, encoding atypical PKCι, with roles in cell polarity, proliferation, and tumorigenesis.
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | PRKCI |
|---|---|
| Full Name | protein kinase C iota |
| Gene Type | protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 3q26.2 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 5584 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/5584 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000163513 |
| UniProt ID | P41743 |
| OMIM ID | 600539 |
| HGNC ID | 9404 |
| Aliases | PKCI, DXS1179E, nPKC-iota, atypical PKC iota |
Description
PRKCI encodes protein kinase C iota (PKCι), an atypical member of the protein kinase C family that is independent of calcium and diacylglycerol. PKCι regulates cell polarity, proliferation, and survival through interactions with the PAR6–CDC42 complex and activation of NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Overexpression and amplification of PRKCI are frequently observed in various cancers, where it promotes oncogenic signaling and therapy resistance.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Non-small cell lung cancer | PRKCI amplification and overexpression drive NF-κB activation and cell survival | PMID: 15601843; COSMIC |
| Ovarian cancer | PRKCI amplification at 3q26.2 correlates with poor prognosis and promotes invasion | PMID: 16397024; COSMIC |
| Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma | PRKCI overexpression activates KRAS signaling and maintains cancer stemness | PMID: 21502517; COSMIC |
| Breast cancer | PRKCI upregulation associated with basal-like subtype and metastasis | PMID: 21746835; COSMIC |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Brain | 12.3 | Medium |
| Lung | 8.7 | Medium |
| Ovary | 6.5 | Low |
| Pancreas | 5.2 | Low |
| Breast | 4.8 | Low |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A549 (lung cancer) | 15.2 | High expression; PRKCI amplification reported |
| OVCAR3 (ovarian cancer) | 11.8 | High expression; associated with 3q26 amplification |
| PANC-1 (pancreatic cancer) | 9.4 | Moderate expression; role in stemness |
| MCF7 (breast cancer) | 6.1 | Low to moderate expression |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.101C>T (p.Thr34Met) | Missense | <0.1% | Unknown functional effect; rare in population |
| c.1124A>G (p.Asn375Ser) | Missense | <0.1% | Located in kinase domain; predicted benign |
| Amplification (3q26.2) | Copy number gain | ~15-30% in NSCLC, ovarian | Gain-of-function; increased PKCι activity |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
No well-characterized loss-of-function mutations reported in PRKCI.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Gene amplification and overexpression are the primary gain-of-function mechanisms, leading to enhanced kinase activity and oncogenic signaling.
Dominant Negative (DN)
No dominant-negative mutations described in PRKCI.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • protein kinase activity | • ATP binding |
| • protein phosphorylation | • cell polarity |
| • cell proliferation | • NF-κB signaling |
| • apoptosis | • tight junction assembly |
Pathways
• Atypical PKC-mediated cell polarity (Reactome R-HSA-5620912)
• NF-κB signaling (KEGG hsa04064)
• MAPK signaling (KEGG hsa04010)
• ErbB signaling (KEGG hsa04012)
Protein Summary
PKCι is a 596-amino-acid serine/threonine kinase with an N-terminal PB1 domain for protein interactions and a C-terminal kinase domain. It localizes to cell junctions and the cytoplasm, where it phosphorylates substrates involved in polarity (e.g., PAR6) and survival (e.g., IKKβ). Its atypical nature (insensitivity to DAG and calcium) distinguishes it from conventional PKCs.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRKCI Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ1347 | Human | 5584 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRKCI Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20818 | Human | 5584 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRKCI Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20819 | Human | 5584 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRKCI Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20820 | Human | 5584 | Details Get a Quote |
| PRKCI Knockout HAP1 Cell Line | EDC07970 | Human | 5584 | Details Get a Quote |
