Diacylglycerol Kinase (DGK) as a Regulator of PKC

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) is a lipid kinase but not protein kinase. However, the enzyme regulates many protein kinases including PKC, PI4P-Kinase, and mTOR by reducing the amount of diacylglycerol and producing phosphatidic acid. To date, ten mammalian DGKs have been cloned and divided into five groups. Interestingly, most subtypes show high expression in the brain, specifically in distinct regions, suggesting that each subtype has unique and important function in the brain. Indeed, neural functions of some DGK subtypes have recently been reported. Here, we summarize enzymatic properties and neural functions of DGKs, and introduce useful information and methods to investigate DGK function in the brain.