Background
PEA-15 (phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes) exists in an non-phosphorylated form (N), and two phosphorylated forms, Pa and Pb. PEA-15 is an endogenous substrate for PKC, which mediates the transition from Pa to Pb. The level of PEA-15 phosphorylation changes upon depolymerization or stabilization of tubulins, indicating that PEA-15 co-localizes with microtubules. The first 80 amino acids of PEA-15 correspond to the death effector domain (DED), which is a domain found in proteins that regulate apoptotic signaling pathways. The DED domain is necessary for PEA-15 to block Ras suppression. Although PEA-15 is predominantly expressed in the central nervous system, low levels of PEA-15 are expressed in liver and kidney, and higher levels in muscle.PEA-15 is also referred to as PED, phosphoprotein enriched in diabetes, for its elevated expression in type 2 diabetic patients