Diacylglycerol Kinase Beta (DGKb)

DGKs are regulators of the intracellular concentration of the second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG) and thus play a key role in cellular processes. The predicted 90-kD DGK protein was 58% identical to the rat 80-kD DGK. Both proteins contain EF-hand motifs, cysteine-rich zinc finger-like sequences, and putative ATP-binding sites. Northern blot analysis revealed that the 90-kD DGK was expressed as an approximately 6.2-kb transcript predominantly in brain. In situ hybridization to rat tissues indicated that the 90-kD DGK was expressed intensely in restricted brain regions, such as the caudate putamen and olfactory tubercle. The pattern of expression was different from that of the 80-kD DGK, leading the authors to suggest that there are multiple DGK isozymes, each of which has a characteristic regional pattern of expression.