TANK-binding kinase I (TBK1) and its close homolog inhibitor of kappaB kinase epsilon (IKKε or IKBKE) are serine/threonine protein kinases, that are activated by pattern-recognition receptors upon infection. Activity of both TBK1 and IKKε (IKBKE) is regulated by the phosphorylation of a serine residue 172 (S172) within the activation loop of the N-terminal kinase domain (KD) (Clark et al., 2009). The activation of TBK1 and IKKε may occur through autophosphorylation or via activity of a distinct protein kinase (Clark et al., 2009). Structural studies of TBK1 reveal a dimeric assembly which is mediated by several interfaces involving an N-terminal KD, a ubiquitin-like domain (ULD), and an alpha-helical scaffold dimerization domain (SDD) of TBK1 thus supporting a model of trans-autophosphorylation (Larabi A et al., 2013; Tu D et al., 2013). The ULD of TBK1 (and IKKε) is involved in the control of kinase activation, substrate presentation and downstream signaling (Ikeda F et al., 2007; Tu D et al., 2013). Upon activation, TBK1 is modified by K63-linked polyubiquitination on lysines 30 (K30) and K401 (Tu D et al., 2013). Ubiquitination of TBK1 leads to conformational changes that facilitate activation of the N-terminal KD while maintaining the overall dimer conformation (Larabi A et al., 2013). The ubiquitination and phosphorylation sites, as well as dimer contacts, are conserved in the close homolog IKKε (IKBKE) suggesting that both kinases are regulated through similar activation mechanisms (Tu D et al., 2013; Zhou AY et al., 2013). Activated TBK1 then phosphorylates IRF3 and IRF7.
TBK1, K63‑polyubiquitinated on K30 and K401, interacts with ubiquitin-binding adaptor protein optineurin (OPTN), which regulates the activity of TBK1 (Pourcelot M et al., 2016).
This Reactome event shows TBK1 phosphorylation within the activated TLR3 complex.