ROCK1: Rho-Associated Coiled-Coil Containing Protein Kinase 1
A key regulator of actin cytoskeleton dynamics, cell motility, and smooth muscle contraction; implicated in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders.
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | ROCK1 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 |
| Gene Type | protein-coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 18q11.1 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 6093 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6093 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000067900 |
| UniProt ID | Q13464 |
| OMIM ID | 601702 |
| HGNC ID | 10251 |
| Aliases | ROCK-I, p160ROCK, ROCK1A, ROCK1B |
Description
ROCK1 encodes a serine/threonine kinase that is a downstream effector of the small GTPase RhoA. It regulates actin cytoskeleton organization, cell adhesion, migration, and contraction by phosphorylating substrates such as myosin light chain phosphatase and LIM kinases. ROCK1 is ubiquitously expressed and plays critical roles in smooth muscle contraction, stress fiber formation, and focal adhesion dynamics. Dysregulation of ROCK1 is associated with cancer progression, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer (multiple types) | ROCK1 overexpression promotes cell migration, invasion, and metastasis via actomyosin contractility and EMT | PMID: 21804531; COSMIC |
| Hypertension | ROCK1-mediated vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling through increased myosin light chain phosphorylation | PMID: 17082462; ClinVar |
| Pulmonary arterial hypertension | ROCK1 activation contributes to pulmonary vascular remodeling and smooth muscle cell proliferation | PMID: 19644061 |
| Alzheimer's disease | ROCK1 upregulation linked to tau hyperphosphorylation and neurite retraction | PMID: 20534734 |
| Glaucoma | ROCK1 inhibition reduces intraocular pressure by modulating trabecular meshwork contractility | PMID: 22605933 |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Brain | 12.5 | Medium |
| Heart | 9.8 | Medium |
| Lung | 8.2 | Medium |
| Liver | 6.1 | Low |
| Kidney | 7.4 | Medium |
| Skeletal muscle | 10.3 | Medium |
| Smooth muscle | 15.2 | High |
| Placenta | 11.0 | Medium |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HeLa | 14.5 | Cervical cancer cell line |
| A549 | 12.3 | Lung adenocarcinoma cell line |
| MCF7 | 9.8 | Breast cancer cell line |
| HUVEC | 16.1 | Endothelial cells |
| HEK293 | 8.7 | Embryonic kidney cells |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.1123G>A (p.Gly375Arg) | Missense | <0.1% | Reduced kinase activity; associated with developmental delay |
| c.2014C>T (p.Arg672Trp) | Missense | <0.1% | Unknown functional effect; rare population variant |
| c.2980C>T (p.Arg994*) | Nonsense | <0.1% | Truncation; loss of function |
| c.1336G>A (p.Glu446Lys) | Missense | <0.1% | Reported in COSMIC; potential gain-of-function in cancer |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Nonsense and missense mutations that reduce kinase activity (e.g., p.Gly375Arg) lead to impaired actin dynamics and cell migration.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Missense mutations (e.g., p.Glu446Lys) observed in cancer may enhance kinase activity, promoting invasion and metastasis.
Dominant Negative (DN)
Truncated forms lacking the kinase domain can interfere with wild-type ROCK1 signaling, though not well documented.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • GO:0004674 - protein serine/threonine kinase activity | • GO:0005524 - ATP binding |
| • GO:0007264 - small GTPase mediated signal transduction | • GO:0030036 - actin cytoskeleton organization |
| • GO:0043547 - positive regulation of GTPase activity | • GO:0007015 - actin filament organization |
| • GO:0032956 - regulation of actin cytoskeleton organization | • GO:0006468 - protein phosphorylation |
Pathways
• RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway (Reactome: R-HSA-195258)
• Regulation of actin cytoskeleton (KEGG: hsa04810)
• Smooth muscle contraction (KEGG: hsa04270)
• Focal adhesion (KEGG: hsa04510)
• VEGF signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04370)
Protein Summary
ROCK1 (Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1) is a 1354-amino acid serine/threonine kinase with an N-terminal kinase domain, a coiled-coil region, and a C-terminal Rho-binding domain. It is activated by binding to GTP-bound RhoA, leading to autophosphorylation and subsequent phosphorylation of downstream targets such as myosin light chain phosphatase (MYPT1), LIM kinases, and adducin. ROCK1 is a key regulator of actomyosin contractility, stress fiber formation, and cell polarity. Its activity is tightly controlled; dysregulation contributes to cancer metastasis, hypertension, and neurodegeneration. Pharmacological inhibitors (e.g., fasudil) are used experimentally and clinically for cardiovascular diseases.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROCK1 Knockout CFSC-8B Cell Line | EDJ-KQ13 | Rat | 6093 | Details Get a Quote |
| ROCK1 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ397 | Human | 6093 | Details Get a Quote |
| ROCK1 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ18624 | Human | 6093 | Details Get a Quote |
| ROCK1 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ18625 | Human | 6093 | Details Get a Quote |
| ROCK1 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ18626 | Human | 6093 | Details Get a Quote |
| ROCK1 Knockout NIH 3T3 Cell Line | EDJ-KZ438 | Mouse | 19877 | Details Get a Quote |
| ROCK1 Knockout HAP1 Cell Line | EDC09074 | Human | 6093 | Details Get a Quote |
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