CNS-related Cellular Kinase Assay

The significant relationship between changes in kinase levels and activity and physiological and pathological changes in the central nervous system (CNS) underscores the need for CNS-associated cellular kinase analysis as an important focus for the development of personalized medicine research. Creative Biolabs, a global leader in neurological research, is able to provide the most professional services for our clients' CNS-related cellular kinase analysis.

CNS-related Cellular Kinases

Kinases are enzymes in the phosphorylation reactions in which high-energy donor molecules ATP or GTP transfer phosphate groups to substrates. Widely acting in the central and peripheral parts of the nervous system, kinases are of critical importance for neuronal cell survival, regulation of cycle metabolism, and related neural network function. As the largest kinase group, protein kinases primarily act on specific proteins and alter their activity. It has been well established that protein kinases act as key nodes to regulate cellular activity and cellular stores by mediating upstream signals and downstream substrates during normal physiological processes in the nervous system. The ways in which protein kinases act are diverse and include regulation of signal transduction, ligand-receptor interaction, cytoskeleton, and ion channels similar to other domain protein kinases. Common protein kinases in CNS include tyrosine kinases, non-receptor tyrosine kinases, serine/threonine kinases, and cell cycle-dependent kinases. Abnormalities in these kinases lead to dysregulation of neural signal transduction pathways and are associated with the onset, development, and recurrence of various CNS-related diseases including Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and schizophrenia.

Fig.1 The multifaceted role of kinases in ALS. (Guo, 2020)

CNS-related Cellular Kinase Assay

Abnormalities in kinase levels and functions play an influential role in related brain pathologies and physiological processes, therefore, the analysis of CNS-related cellular kinases is essential in disease research and drug development targeting kinases and their upstream and downstream molecules. On the one hand, biochemical-based screening of kinases is based on the determination of non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated substrates in kinase reactions, including kinase activity analysis of radioisotope-labeled ATP, TR-FRET assay of substrate phosphorylation levels, Caliper assay, Luminescence assay, LC-MS assay, IMAP assay, and ADP-Quest assay, etc. On the other hand, cell-based kinase assays are based on the determination of relevant cellular indicators, including kinase activity evaluation, compound binding assays, protein interaction assays, and cell-selective screening assays. The selection of appropriate cellular kinase screening methods is beneficial for obtaining more information about CNS-related studies.

Fig.2 Measurement of G2 duration provides a specific readout for aurora-a kinase activity. (de Groot, 2015)

Cellular kinases are one of the key target families for conducting research on CNS neurological diseases and related drugs. For supporting the detection and screening of CNS-related kinases, Creative Biolabs offers you a one-stop solution and experimental support for the analysis of multiple cellular kinase types. Please contact us to discuss your thoughts.

References

1. Guo, W.; et al. The multifaceted role of kinases in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: genetic, pathological and therapeutic implications. Brain. 2020, 143(6): 1651-1673.
2. de Groot, C.O.; et al. A cell biologist's field guide to aurora kinase inhibitors. Front Oncol. 2015, 5: 285.