ABSTRACT Akt/PKB is a serine/threonine kinase that plays an important role in a variety of physiological processes. It is the central player in signaling cascades for growth factors or external stimuli-induced cellular responses in metabolism, cell growth and apoptosis. Since alternation of Akt activity has been linked to the onset of several disorders, it’s one of the potential targets in drug development against diseases like diabetes and cancer. While the functions of Akt in cytosol have been extensively researched, compelling evidences have emerged recently that nuclear Akt is of equal importance to its cytosol counterpart in mediating the biological functions. However, most of the mechanistic actions of nuclear Akt remain elusive. In this article, we will highlight the current knowledge about the role of Akt in various nuclear activities. Our understanding on how nuclear Akt is regulated will also be discussed. Lastly, we will briefly introduce the reported Akt substrates in nucleus and their functional changes after phosphorylation.
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