A complementary DNA (cDNA) clone that encodes phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI 4-kinase) was isolated from a rat brain cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence of 697 residues revealed that the protein contains two putative transmembrane sequences and that the N-terminal part of the protein has several sequences representing potential phosphorylation sites for cAMP- and calmodulin-dependent kinase. The C-terminal region is probably a phosphotransferase domain homologous to the kinase region of protein kinase family proteins. Specific antibody against the protein expressed in Escherichia coli successfully immunoprecipitated rat brain PI 4-kinase. The messenger RNA for PI 4-kinase was found predominantly in brain and rat neural cell lines. This PI kinase may play a specific role in neural signal transduction.