Pim-1: a serine/threonine kinase with a role in cell survival, proliferation, differentiation and tumorigenesis.

Wang Z, Bhattacharya N, Weaver M, Petersen K, Meyer M, Gapter L, Magnuson NS.

School of Molecular Biosciences Washington State University Pullman, Washington 99164-4234, USA.

Pim-1 belongs to a family of serine/threonine protein kinases that are highly conserved through evolution in multicellular organisms. Originally identified from moloney murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-induced T-cell lymphomas in mice, Pim-1 kinase is involved in the control of cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Expression of Pim-1 kinase can be stimulated by a variety of growth factors and regulated at four different levels: transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational. Several signal transduction pathways may be associated with the regulation of Pim-1's expression; accumulating data support that the expression of Pim-1 protein is mediated through activation of JAK/STATs. Recent studies of Pim family kinases indicate that Pim-1 kinase plays important roles outside of the hematopoietic system as well.