| 2003 |
MARKK (TAOK1) is an upstream activator of MARK/PAR-1 kinase; it phosphorylates MARK2 within the activation loop at T208, activating MARK and leading to downstream phosphorylation of microtubule-associated proteins (tau/MAP2/MAP4) at KXGS motifs, causing microtubule disassembly and, in neuronal cells, promoting neurite outgrowth. |
In vitro kinase assay, site-directed mutagenesis (T208 in MARK2), cell overexpression with microtubule dynamics readout |
The EMBO journal |
High |
14517247
|
| 2008 |
MARKK/TAO1 (TAOK1) interacts with two new binding partners identified by yeast two-hybrid: Spred1 (which binds MARKK without affecting its activity) and TESK1 (which binds and inhibits MARKK). TESK1 blocks MARKK-driven microtubule disruption, while Spred1 relieves TESK1 inhibition of cofilin phosphorylation, creating a three-way regulatory network linking microtubule and F-actin cytoskeleton dynamics. |
Yeast two-hybrid, co-immunoprecipitation, CHO cell overexpression with cytoskeletal phenotype readout |
Molecular biology of the cell |
High |
18216281
|
| 2006 |
PSK2 (a TAOK1-related Ste20-like kinase) activates JNK and induces apoptotic morphology (cell contraction, membrane blebbing, apoptotic body formation); it also stimulates ROCK-I cleavage, and caspase 3 cleaves PSK2 itself; dominant-negative JNK or ROCK-I inhibition blocked these morphological responses, establishing PSK2 as an upstream regulator of JNK and ROCK-I in the execution phase of apoptosis. |
Dominant-negative expression, kinase activity assay, caspase substrate assay, morphological readout |
The Journal of biological chemistry |
Medium |
16407310
|
| 2018 |
TAOK1 negatively regulates IL-17 signaling by physically interacting with IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) in a kinase-activity-independent manner and dose-dependently preventing formation of the IL-17R–Act1 complex, thereby suppressing downstream MAP kinase and NF-κB activation. |
Co-immunoprecipitation, TAOK1 knockdown with cytokine/signaling readout, kinase-dead mutant analysis, in vivo colitis model |
Cellular & molecular immunology |
High |
29400705
|
| 2020 |
TAOK1 positively regulates TLR4-triggered inflammatory responses in macrophages by constitutively interacting with TRAF6 and TPL2, promoting LPS-induced ERK1/2 activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production; TAOK1-deficient mice showed decreased susceptibility to endotoxin shock. |
Co-immunoprecipitation (TAOK1–TRAF6–TPL2 complex), TAOK1 knockdown/KO with ERK1/2 phosphorylation readout, in vivo endotoxin shock model |
Molecular immunology |
High |
32344244
|
| 2021 |
Altered TAOK1 expression levels in the embryonic mouse brain affect neural migration in vivo and neuronal maturation in vitro; missense NDD-associated variants can act as loss-of-function or dominant-negative alleles, establishing that TAOK1 kinase activity must be properly controlled for normal neuronal function. |
In utero electroporation (neural migration assay), primary neuron culture (maturation assay), patient fibroblast analysis, functional characterization of missense variants |
Human mutation |
High |
33565190
|
| 2023 |
TAOK1 is a plasma membrane remodeling kinase: its coiled-coil triple-helical region C-terminal to the kinase domain directly binds phosphoinositides, targeting TAOK1 to the plasma membrane. Autophosphorylation of T440 and T443 within this region by the kinase domain blocks membrane association. NDD-associated TAOK1 missense mutants are catalytically inactive, become aberrantly trapped in a membrane-bound state, and induce abnormal membrane protrusions and aberrant dendritic arbor growth in hippocampal neurons. |
In vitro phospholipid-binding assay, autophosphorylation assay, mutagenesis of T440/T443, live-cell imaging, primary hippocampal neuron morphology assay, in silico structure prediction of triple helix |
Science signaling |
High |
36595571
|
| 2023 |
TAOK1 positively regulates antiviral innate immune responses by constitutively associating with TBK1 and enhancing TBK1–IRF3 complex formation in a kinase-activity-dependent manner; viral infection induces TAOK1 to switch from binding MAP4 to binding dynein, enabling trafficking of TBK1 along microtubules to the perinuclear region where it binds IRF3, and microtubule depolymerization impairs this IRF3 activation. |
Co-immunoprecipitation (TAOK1–TBK1, TAOK1–dynein, TAOK1–MAP4), kinase-dead mutant, microtubule depolymerization, type I IFN production assay |
Journal of innate immunity |
High |
36649698
|
| 2023 |
TAOK1 protein fully colocalizes with intracellular lipid droplets in human and mouse hepatocytes (determined by immunofluorescence); silencing TAOK1 inhibits ERK and JNK activation and represses ACC protein abundance, alleviating hepatocyte lipotoxicity by shifting fatty acid partitioning toward catabolism. |
Immunofluorescence colocalization, siRNA knockdown, immunoblotting for ERK, JNK, ACC, functional metabolic assays |
Hepatology communications |
Medium |
36930872
|
| 2023 |
TAOK1 promotes cancer cachexia-associated muscle atrophy by activating the p38-MAPK pathway, leading to FoxO3 nuclear translocation and upregulation of ubiquitin-proteasome and autophagy-lysosome protein degradation pathways; Corylifol A was identified as a direct-binding inhibitor of TAOK1 (confirmed by biotin-streptavidin pulldown and microscale thermophoresis), and its ameliorating effect on muscle atrophy was reversed by siRNA knockdown of TAOK1 or pathway manipulation. |
Biotin-streptavidin pulldown, microscale thermophoresis, siRNA knockdown, Western blotting (p38/FoxO3 pathway), in vivo tumor-bearing mouse model |
Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle |
High |
37439183
|
| 2023 |
Taok1 haploinsufficiency in mice reduces activation of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) neurons during social interaction, causes aberrant phosphorylation of numerous proteins, and produces autistic-like behaviors; selective deletion of Taok1 in VGlut3-positive DRN neurons recapitulates this phenotype, and reintroduction of wild-type but not kinase-dead Taok1 into DRN rescues the behavior. |
Conditional knockout (Cre-mediated), viral rescue with kinase-dead mutant, in vivo calcium imaging of DRN neurons, behavioral assays |
Cell reports |
High |
37656623
|
| 2025 |
TAOK1 phosphorylates USP7, thereby promoting USP7 deubiquitylase activity and preventing ubiquitylation and degradation of RAD51; this stabilizes RAD51 filament formation at DNA damage sites and supports homologous recombination (HR) repair; genetic or pharmacological inhibition of TAOK1 impairs USP7 function, causes RAD51 degradation, disrupts HR, and sensitizes tumor cells to PARP inhibitors. |
High-throughput kinase inhibitor screen, in vitro kinase assay (TAOK1 phosphorylating USP7), ubiquitylation assay, RAD51 foci/filament assay, HR reporter assay, PARP inhibitor sensitivity assay |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
High |
40106350
|
| 2024 |
ELFN1-AS1 lncRNA binds to the kinase domain of TAOK1 and disrupts the TAOK1–STK3 (MST2) interaction, leading to decreased STK3 phosphorylation, attenuation of the Hippo kinase cascade, reduced YAP1 phosphorylation, and increased nuclear YAP1/MYC signaling in gastric cancer cells. |
Co-immunoprecipitation (TAOK1–STK3 interaction), RNA–protein binding assay, Western blotting for Hippo pathway components, loss-of-function experiments |
Cell death discovery |
Medium |
39528458
|
| 2024 |
TAOK1 interacts with CDC20 (confirmed by Co-IP), and TAOK1 overexpression protects endothelial cells from ox-LDL-induced apoptosis and senescence; CDC20 siRNA reverses these protective effects, placing CDC20 downstream of TAOK1 in endothelial stress signaling. |
Co-immunoprecipitation (TAOK1–CDC20), siRNA knockdown, flow cytometry for apoptosis and cell cycle, Western blotting |
Discovery medicine |
Low |
39726311
|
| 2025 |
TAOK1 regulates replication fork (RF) stability independently of its kinase activity; it interacts with PCNA and regulates ISG15 levels to affect RF stability; TAOK1 depletion stabilizes RFs and reduces replication-associated DNA damage in BRCA1/2-deficient cells, conferring resistance to PARP inhibitors and ionizing radiation. |
CRISPR/siRNA depletion, kinase-dead mutant rescue, Co-IP (TAOK1–PCNA), DNA fiber assay (fork stability), ISG15 immunoblotting, PARP inhibitor/IR sensitivity assay |
bioRxivpreprint |
Medium |
bio_10.1101_2025.10.14.682031
|
| 2025 |
Schip1 interacts with Taok1 to activate the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, promoting osteoclast differentiation; genetic ablation of Schip1 in mice results in osteosclerosis and attenuates ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis. |
Co-immunoprecipitation (Schip1–Taok1), Schip1 knockout mice, osteoclast differentiation assay, Western blotting for p38 MAPK pathway |
Bone |
Medium |
40633827
|
| 2025 |
LINC01198 directly associates with TAOK1/2, inhibits their phosphorylation, and elicits downstream Hippo signaling through the TAOK/LATS axis, redistributing YAP/TAZ to the nucleus and promoting IL-1β expression to drive vemurafenib resistance in melanoma. |
RNA pull-down/Co-IP (LINC01198–TAOK1/2 association), phosphorylation assay, loss-of-function experiments, YAP/TAZ nuclear localization assay |
Cell death discovery |
Medium |
41145465
|
| 2019 |
De novo variants in TAOK1 reduce mRNA levels via nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, abolish detectable phosphorylated TAO1 kinase and phosphorylated tau, and alter mitochondrial morphology in patient fibroblasts; knockdown of Tao1 in Drosophila alters neuromuscular junction morphology and mitochondrial distribution in motor neuron axons. |
Patient fibroblast analysis (cycloheximide NMD assay, Western blot for p-TAO1 and p-tau, mitochondrial imaging), Drosophila Tao1 knockdown with NMJ morphology and mitochondrial readout |
American journal of human genetics |
Medium |
31230721
|