The protein encoded by this gene has amino acid sequence similarity to Csk tyrosine kinase and has the structural features of the CSK subfamily: SRC homology SH2 and SH3 domains, a catalytic domain, a unique N terminus, lack of myristylation signals, lack of a negative regulatory phosphorylation site, and lack of an autophosphorylation site. This protein is thought to play a significant role in the signal transduction of hematopoietic cells. It is able to phosphorylate and inactivate Src family kinases, and may play an inhibitory role in the control of T-cell proliferation. This protein might be involved in signaling in some cases of breast cancer. Three alternatively spliced transcript variants that encode different isoforms have been described for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].
McShan, Zagozdzon, Park, Zrihan-Licht, Fu, Avraham, Avraham: "Csk homologous kinase associates with RAFTK/Pyk2 in breast cancer cells and negatively regulates its activation and breast cancer cell migration." in: International journal of oncology, Vol. 21, Issue 1, pp. 197-205, (2002) (PubMed).
Zagozdzon, Bougeret, Fu, Avraham: "Overexpression of the Csk homologous kinase facilitates phosphorylation of Akt/PKB in MCF-7 cells." in: International journal of oncology, Vol. 21, Issue 6, pp. 1347-52, (2002) (PubMed).
Kim, Zagozdzon, Meisler, Baleja, Fu, Avraham, Avraham: "Csk homologous kinase (CHK) and ErbB-2 interactions are directly coupled with CHK negative growth regulatory function in breast cancer." in: The Journal of biological chemistry, Vol. 277, Issue 39, pp. 36465-70, (2002) (PubMed).