Background:
SIK1 (salt-inducible kinase 1), also known as SNF1LK or MSK, is a 783 amino acid protein that contains one UBA domain and one protein kinase domain and belongs to the Ser/Thr protein kinase family. Localized to both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, SIK1 uses magnesium as a cofactor to catalyze the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of target proteins and is thought to be important for the early stages of skeletal muscle growth and myocardial cell differentiation. Additionally, SIK1 has a potential role in regulation of the G2/M cell cycle transition, as well as in inhibitory control of CREB protein function.