The association of human microtubule-associated serine/threonine (MAST) kinases with different diseases, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer, leads to hight interest in understanding the function of these understudied kinases. This PhD thesis provides the first consolidated biochemical analysis of three different human MAST kinases (MAST1-3) and the Drosophila melanogaster homologue drop out protein (DOP).

cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is a crucial part in eukaryotic signal transduction and controls biological processes. With a multitude of substrates, a great variety of cellular functions are regulated by PKA. Regulation of metabolism, cell growth and -differentiation, conductivity of ion channels, movement of sperm cells, embryonic development, neuroplasticity as well as conversion of short- to long-term memory are just examples for the many tasks of the kinase. To achieve and coordinate these diverse functions, ...

Protein kinase A (PKA) is an integral part in a myriad of cellular pathways and a main effector of the second messenger cAMP. Since its discovery in the late 1960s, PKA has become one of the best-studied eukaryotic protein kinases in terms of enzymatic and structural features. Pathological implications of PKA have just started to emerge. There are three main isoforms (α, β, γ) of the catalytic subunit of PKA (PKA-C) which constitute a holoenzyme (R2C2) by association with a regulatory subunit (PKA-R) dimer. While ...