The major types of kinases include: protein kinases, carbohydrate kinases, and lipid kinases.
Protein kinases phosphorylate serine, threonine, and tyrosine. They are involved in a wide range of processes including cell signaling, signal transduction, metabolism and cell cycle regulation. Examples include CDKs, MAPKs, PKA, and PKB.
Carbohydrate kinases catalyze the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to a carbohydrate substrate molecule. Some examples of these kinases are hexokinase, glucokinase, and phosphofructokinase.
Lipid kinases are enzymes that phosphorylate lipids (specifically the hydroxyl groups) that exist on lipid molecules. These enzymes transfer a phosphate group from ATP to the lipid substrate, resulting in the formation of phosphorylated lipids. Lipid kinases have a vital role in regulating cellular processes including lipid metabolism and cell survival. Examples of lipid kinases include PI3K, PI4k, and DGK.