Mechanism of activation and function of protein kinase B

The past year has seen significant advances in our understanding of how protein kinase B (PKB) is activated and of the central role it plays in insulin signalling and in mediating the protective effects of survival factors against apoptosis. The highlights include the discovery of a protein kinase required for the 3-phosphoinositide-dependent activation of PKB and the identification of several physiological substrates for PKB.