Enables several functions, including identical protein binding activity; protein phosphatase binding activity; and protein serine/threonine kinase activity. Involved in negative regulation of gene expression; peptidyl-serine phosphorylation; and positive regulation of defense response. Acts upstream of or within several processes, including defense response to Gram-positive bacterium; dendritic cell proliferation; and positive regulation of interferon-beta production. Predicted to be located in nucleoplasm. Predicted to be active in cytoplasm. Is expressed in several structures, including alimentary system; brain; genitourinary system; respiratory system; and sensory organ. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in brain disease and frontotemporal dementia and/or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-4. Orthologous to human TBK1 (TANK binding kinase 1). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]