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Protein / target

Protein kinase C epsilon type

Encoded byPRKCEQ02156Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
1
Approved medicines
Open Targets target-level
View by indication →
30
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Approved Drug

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Diacylglycerol-dependent serine/threonine kinase

Strongest disease association

Hypertension

Via encoding gene PRKCE · Genetic evidence · score 0.81

Therapeutic position

Established drug target

Small molecules

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

Calcium-independent, phospholipid- and diacylglycerol (DAG)-dependent serine/threonine-protein kinase that plays essential roles in the regulation of multiple cellular processes linked to cytoskeletal proteins, such as cell adhesion, motility, migration and cell cycle, functions in neuron growth and…

View complete UniProt function annotation

Calcium-independent, phospholipid- and diacylglycerol (DAG)-dependent serine/threonine-protein kinase that plays essential roles in the regulation of multiple cellular processes linked to cytoskeletal proteins, such as cell adhesion, motility, migration and cell cycle, functions in neuron growth and ion channel regulation, and is involved in immune response, cancer cell invasion and regulation of apoptosis. Mediates cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix via integrin-dependent signaling, by mediating angiotensin-2-induced activation of integrin beta-1 (ITGB1) in cardiac fibroblasts. Phosphorylates MARCKS, which phosphorylates and activates PTK2/FAK, leading to the spread of cardiomyocytes. Involved in the control of the directional transport of ITGB1 in mesenchymal cells by phosphorylating vimentin (VIM), an intermediate filament (IF) protein. In epithelial cells, associates with and phosphorylates keratin-8 (KRT8), which induces targeting of desmoplakin at desmosomes and regulates cell-cell contact. Phosphorylates IQGAP1, which binds to CDC42, mediating epithelial cell-cell detachment prior to migration. In HeLa cells, contributes to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-induced cell migration, and in human corneal epithelial cells, plays a critical role in wound healing after activation by HGF. During cytokinesis, forms a complex with YWHAB, which is crucial for daughter cell separation, and facilitates abscission by a mechanism which may implicate the regulation of RHOA. In cardiac myocytes, regulates myofilament function and excitation coupling at the Z-lines, where it is indirectly associated with F-actin via interaction with COPB1. During endothelin-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, mediates activation of PTK2/FAK, which is critical for cardiomyocyte survival and regulation of sarcomere length. Plays a role in the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy via persistent phosphorylation of troponin I (TNNI3). Involved in nerve growth factor (NFG)-induced neurite outgrowth and neuron morphological change independently of its kinase activity, by inhibition of RHOA pathway, activation of CDC42 and cytoskeletal rearrangement. May be involved in presynaptic facilitation by mediating phorbol ester-induced synaptic potentiation. Phosphorylates gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit gamma-2 (GABRG2), which reduces the response of GABA receptors to ethanol and benzodiazepines and may mediate acute tolerance to the intoxicating effects of ethanol. Upon PMA treatment, phosphorylates the capsaicin- and heat-activated cation channel TRPV1, which is required for bradykinin-induced sensitization of the heat response in nociceptive neurons. Is able to form a complex with PDLIM5 and N-type calcium channel, and may enhance channel activities and potentiates fast synaptic transmission by phosphorylating the pore-forming alpha subunit CACNA1B (CaV2.2). In prostate cancer cells, interacts with and phosphorylates STAT3, which increases DNA-binding and transcriptional activity of STAT3 and seems to be essential for prostate cancer cell invasion. Downstream of TLR4, plays an important role in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced immune response by phosphorylating and activating TICAM2/TRAM, which in turn activates the transcription factor IRF3 and subsequent cytokines production. In differentiating erythroid progenitors, is regulated by EPO and controls the protection against the TNFSF10/TRAIL-mediated apoptosis, via BCL2. May be involved in the regulation of the insulin-induced phosphorylation and activation of AKT1. Phosphorylates NLRP5/MATER and may thereby modulate AKT pathway activation in cumulus cells (PubMed:19542546). Phosphorylates and activates LRRK1, which phosphorylates RAB proteins involved in intracellular trafficking (PubMed:36040231)

Subcellular location

CytoplasmCytoplasm, cytoskeletonCell membraneCytoplasm, perinuclear regionNucleus
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (46)

Domains & features

C2Protein kinaseAGC-kinase C-terminal

Gene Ontology

  • Ccell periphery
  • Ccytoplasm
  • Ccytosol
  • Cendoplasmic reticulum
  • CGolgi apparatus
  • Cintermediate filament cytoskeleton
  • Cmitochondrion
  • Cnucleus
  • Cperinuclear region of cytoplasm
  • Cplasma membrane
  • F14-3-3 protein binding
  • Factin monomer binding

737 aa · 84 kDa

Biological roles

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Cell migrationUniProt · GOSynaptic signallingUniProtIon channel gatingGOLipid & lipoprotein metabolismUniProtKinase signallingUniProt · GOImmune signallingUniProt · GO
View supporting evidence

Cell migration

  • ·Calcium-independent, phospholipid- and diacylglycerol (DAG)-dependent serine/threonine-p…
  • ·positive regulation of epithelial cell migration

Synaptic signalling

  • ·Calcium-independent, phospholipid- and diacylglycerol (DAG)-dependent serine/threonine-p…

Ion channel gating

  • ·negative regulation of sodium ion transmembrane transport

Lipid & lipoprotein metabolism

  • ·Calcium-independent, phospholipid- and diacylglycerol (DAG)-dependent serine/threonine-p…

Kinase signalling

  • ·Calcium-independent, phospholipid- and diacylglycerol (DAG)-dependent serine/threonine-p…
  • ·diacylglycerol-dependent serine/threonine kinase activity
  • ·diacylglycerol-dependent, calcium-independent serine/threonine kinase activity
  • ·protein kinase activity

Immune signalling

  • ·Calcium-independent, phospholipid- and diacylglycerol (DAG)-dependent serine/threonine-p…
  • ·positive regulation of cytokinesis

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Approved medicines with mapped indications

1 medicine · 4 areas

Approved therapies targeting this protein, grouped by what they are approved to treat — the disease-first view of the medicines below. Relationships come from the canonical approved-indication graph (ChEMBL phase-4), the same source as the drug cards.

Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute1 medicine
Mastocytosis1 medicine
Mastocytosis, Systemic1 medicine
Broader indication categories (1)
Neoplasms1 medicine

Broad umbrella indications (e.g. “Neoplasms”). Shown here because every medicine also appears under a more specific disease above — kept for completeness, de-emphasised for clarity.

Approved indications from ChEMBL (phase-4), via the canonical drug→disease graph.

Drugs targeting this protein

1

How approved and investigational drugs engage this protein — mechanism and action type, direct vs complex targeting, and how broadly each acts across other targets. A drug-first view (the section above groups the approved ones disease-first); direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

midostaurin
ApprovedInhibitor

Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor

Indicated for Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute, Mastocytosis, Mastocytosis, Systemic, Neoplasms

Acts on a complex — shared with PRKD3, PRKCI, PRKCA +7 more · 1 of 16 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

ChEMBL mechanism, action type, target identity and approved indications. Open Targets clinical status.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene PRKCE

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene PRKCE that encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Hypertension
0.81Well supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.49

Glaucoma, Open-Angle
0.79Well supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.48

Coronary Artery Disease
0.73Moderately supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.45

Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute
0.70Moderately supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.56

Neurodegenerative Diseases
0.31Preliminary

Pathway evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.47 · no direct causal or clinical evidence

View evidence synthesis (5)
HypertensionWell supported
0.81
agreement 0.670.95
Genetic99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.49 · 2 independent evidence families

Glaucoma, Open-AngleWell supported
0.79
agreement 0.670.91
Genetic100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.48 · 1 independent evidence family

Coronary Artery DiseaseModerately supported
0.73
agreement 0.590.87
Genetic99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.45 · 2 independent evidence families

Leukemia, Myeloid, AcuteModerately supported
0.70
agreement 0.550.86
Clinical87%Literature13%

Open Targets aggregate 0.56 · 2 independent evidence families

Neurodegenerative DiseasesPreliminary
0.31
agreement 0.130.49
Pathway99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.47 · 2 independent evidence families · no direct causal or clinical evidence

This ranking differs from Open Targets' own: re-weighting moves genetically-evidenced diseases above more heavily co-mentioned ones. The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute0.56
Hypertension0.49
Glaucoma, Open-Angle0.48
Neurodegenerative Diseases0.47
Coronary Artery Disease0.45

Drug development

6 compounds recorded · 1 approved · 5 in clinical development

Open Targets' development universe — every compound recorded against the target at any stage, not all approved medicines. Distinct from the 1 drug that targets this protein in Forefront's canonical graph (1 with a mapped approved indication, shown above): these count different sets and are not a subset relation.

View all recorded compounds (6)
UCN-01Phase 2
MIDOSTAURINApproval
SOTRASTAURINPhase 2
CEP-2563Phase 1
KAI-1678Phase 2
GSK-690693Phase 1

Open Targets known-drugs universe. Drug name and highest clinical stage only — the disease relationship is NOT read from this slice (it carries trial-context noise); approved indications come from the canonical graph above.

Tractability

Small moleculesStrong

Approved Drug and Structure with Ligand support this modality.

AntibodiesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (uniprot loc high conf and go cc high conf) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (database ubiquitination and half-life data) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Other modalitiesStrong

Advanced Clinical support this modality.

View underlying tractability evidence (11)
SM · Approved DrugSM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · Druggable FamilyAB · UniProt loc high confAB · GO CC high confAB · Human Protein Atlas locPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule BinderOC · Advanced Clinical

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Safety-related annotations

hypertensionClinPGxEsophagitisClinPGxcardiac arrhythmiaLamore et al. (2017)

Terms indexed against this target in Open Targets' safety data, with their datasource. These are annotations, not causal claims: the direction of effect (whether activation or inhibition is implicated), species and evidence strength are not captured here, so an entry does not mean that modulating this target is known to cause that condition.

Clinical trials

30

Trials of drugs that target this protein — reached indirectly through those drugs, so a trial listed here studies the drug, not the protein. Ranked by active status, then clinical phase and recency, and spread across the targeting drugs.

View all trials (26)

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

What's happening now

3

Recent therapeutic activity around this target — regulatory actions, clinical trials and safety signals for a drug that targets this protein, plus publications where such a drug is a genuine subject. Every item is reached indirectly through the drug, not the protein itself; incidental mentions (a paper that merely measures a drug) and press items are excluded.

  1. Regulatory approval2017-09-18

    Approval: Rydapt (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via midostaurin

  2. New publication2017-07-24
    Efficacy and safety of midostaurin in patients with advanced systemic mastocytosis: 10-year median follow-up of a phase II trial.

    Leukemia · 2018 · 109 citations · Europe PMC · via midostaurin

  3. New publication2016-06-01
    Efficacy and Safety of Midostaurin in Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis.

    The New England journal of medicine · 2016 · 371 citations · Europe PMC · via midostaurin

Objective event titles are shown unmodified; the event kind and significance line are derived from structured fields. Forefront AttentionEvent stream aggregating Europe PMC Regulatory filings ClinicalTrials.gov.