DAP-kinase--protector or enemy in apoptotic cell death.

Death-associated protein (DAP)-kinase, a member of a novel subfamily of pro-apoptotic serine/threonine kinases, was recently identified as a new tumor suppressor gene with multiple functions in programmed cell death. This 160-kDa protein consists of different interaction domains that enable it to participate in seemingly contradictory pathways such as elimination of premalignant cells or cytoprotection in cellular homoeostasis. DAP-kinase is frequently inactivated by aberrant promoter methylation in many cancer types, and its expression was shown to be a useful molecular marker for cancer prognosis. Moreover, DAP-kinase is considered a regulator of neuronal apoptosis. Future investigations should allow for the evaluation of DAP-kinase as a potential target for both pro- and anti-apoptotic therapeutic interventions.