Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase that operates in the calcium-triggered CaMKK-CaMK1 signaling cascade which results in transcriptional activation. Transcriptional activation occurs at least in part through phosphorylation of crh-1. Regulates gene expression, sensory morphology, and function of the AFD thermosensory neurons. Involved in long-term adaptation of AFD neurons to temperatures warmer than the initial acclimatized cultivation temperature. Acts in the FLP thermal nociceptors to moderate the responsiveness to noxious heat and controls neuropeptide release from FLP neurons in response to temperature elevations. Regulates the dauer decision, the decision of the larvae to enter into the alternative stress-resistant and long-lived dauer developmental stage, based on the feeding state, primarily in the AWC sensory neurons. Acts non cell-autonomously in the AWC neurons to regulate expression of the daf-28 insulin-like peptide and cell-autonomously in the ASI sensory neurons to regulate expression of the growth promoting daf-7 in a food-regulated manner. Plays a role in memory-based thermal response of an individual AFD neuron cell. Involved in chemotaxis response in AWC neurons to attractant 2-heptanone, a volatile organic compound emitted by the nematode pathogenic bacterium B.nematocida B16. Represses transcription of glutamate receptor glr-1 in the nucleus basally and in response to change in synaptic activity. ATP + L-seryl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-seryl-[protein] ATP + L-threonyl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-threonyl-[protein] Activated by Ca(2+)/calmodulin. Binding of calmodulin results in a conformational change that generates functional binding sites for both substrate and ATP, and thus relieves autoinhibition and lowers the Km of substrate binding. Must be phosphorylated by ckk-1 to be maximally active but this does not appear to be required for activity in AFD neurons. Localization is regulated by temperature in thermosensory neurons. Localizes to the nucleus upon elevated temperature shift. Translocates from cytoplasm to the nucleus of FLP thermal nociceptors during thermal adaptation. Translocates transiently from cytoplasm to the nucleus of AWC sensory neurons in response to food withdrawal. Prolonged starvation results in cytoplasmic enrichment. The distribution between cytoplasm and nucleus is regulated by synaptic glutamate receptor glr-1 levels in PVC neurons, accumulating in the nucleus with increasing glr-1. The autoinhibitory domain overlaps with the calmodulin binding region and interacts in the inactive folded state with the catalytic domain as a pseudosubstrate. Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CAMK Ser/Thr protein kinase family. CaMK subfamily.