Background
The product of this gene belongs to the serine/threonine protein kinases family, and to the
Ca(2 )/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases subfamily. Calcium signaling is crucial for
several aspects of plasticity at glutamatergic synapses. This calcium calmodulin-dependent
protein kinase is composed of four different chains: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. The
alpha chain encoded by this gene is required for hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP)
and spatial learning. In addition to its calcium-calmodulin (CaM)-dependent activity, this
protein can undergo autophosphorylation, resulting in CaM-independent activity. Several
transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been identified for this gene.
