Oxidative stress-responsive 1 protein (OXSR1), also known as Serine/threonine-protein kinase OSR1, is a member of the Ser/Thr protein kinase family of proteins. OXSR1 regulates downstream kinases in response to environmental stress, and may play a role in regulating the actin cytoskeleton. OXSR1 is a 58 kDa protein of 527 amino acids that is widely expressed in mammalian tissues and cell lines. The amino acid (aa) sequence of the predicted OXSR1 protein is 39% identical to that of human SOK1. Of potential regulators surveyed, endogenous OXSR1 is activated only by osmotic stresses, notably sorbitol and to a lesser extent NaCl. OXSR1 did not increase the activity of coexpressed JNK, nor did it activate three other MAPKs, p38, ERK2, and ERK5. Phosphorylation by OXSR1 modulates the G protein sensitivity of PAK isoforms. The OXSR1 and SPAK are key enzymes in a signalling cascade regulating the activity of Na+/K+/2Cl- co-transporters (NKCCs) in response to osmotic stress. Both kinases have a conserved carboxy-terminal (CCT) domain, which recognizes a unique peptide (Arg-Phe-Xaa-Val) motif. The OXSR1 and SPAK kinases specifically recognize their upstream activators and downstream substrates.
