Isoform 3 may have a role in regulating the growth and differentiation of arterial smooth muscle cells.
Subcellular locations: Nucleus
Isoform 1 is preferentially expressed in striated muscle. Non-kinase form such as isoform 3 is predominantly expressed in the aorta. Isoform 3 appears to be expressed only in highly differentiated ASMC in normal vessel walls and down-regulated in dedifferentiated ASMC in vivo. In response to vascular injuries ASMC dedifferentiate and change from a quiescent and contractile phenotype to a proliferative and synthetic phenotype. This proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells is one of the most prominent features of atherosclerosis.