Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (also known as MAP2K, MEK, MAPKK) is a
dual-specificity kinase
In biochemistry, a dual-specificity kinase () is a kinase that can act as both tyrosine kinase and serine/threonine kinase.
MEKs, involved in MAP pathways, are principal examples of dual-specificity kinases. Other common examples include:
* AD ...
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
which
phosphorylates
In chemistry, phosphorylation is the attachment of a phosphate group to a molecule or an ion. This process and its inverse, dephosphorylation, are common in biology and could be driven by natural selection. Text was copied from this source, whi ...
mitogen-activated protein kinase
A mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK or MAP kinase) is a type of protein kinase that is specific to the amino acids serine and threonine (i.e., a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase). MAPKs are involved in directing cellular responses to ...
(MAPK).
MAP2K is classified as .
There are seven genes:
* (a.k.a.
MEK1
Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''MAP2K1'' gene.
Function
The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the dual-specificity protein kinase family that acts as a mito ...
)
* (a.k.a.
MEK2
Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 2 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''MAP2K2'' gene. It is more commonly known as MEK2, but has many alternative names including CFC4, MKK2, MAPKK2 and PRKMK2.
Function
The ...
)
* (a.k.a.
MKK3
Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''MAP2K3'' gene.
The protein encoded by this gene is a dual specificity protein kinase that belongs to the MAP kinase kinase family. This k ...
)
* (a.k.a.
MKK4
Dual-specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''MAP2K4'' gene.
''MAP2K4'' encodes a dual-specificity kinase that belongs to the Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP2K4 phosphorylates MAP ...
)
* (a.k.a.
MKK5
Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 5 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''MAP2K5'' gene.
Function
The protein encoded by this gene is a dual specificity protein kinase that belongs to the MAP kinase kinase famil ...
)
* (a.k.a.
MKK6
Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6 also known as MAP kinase kinase 6 (MAPKK 6) or MAPK/ERK kinase 6 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''MAP2K6'' gene, on chromosome 17.
Function
MAPKK 6 is a member of the d ...
)
* (a.k.a.
MKK7
Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7, also known as MAP kinase kinase 7 or MKK7, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''MAP2K7'' gene. This protein is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase family. T ...
)
The activators of
p38 (MKK3 and MKK6),
JNK
c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), were originally identified as kinases that bind and phosphorylate c-Jun on Ser-63 and Ser-73 within its transcriptional activation domain. They belong to the mitogen-activated protein kinase family, and ar ...
(MKK4 and MKK7), and
ERK (MEK1 and MEK2) define independent
MAP kinase
A mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK or MAP kinase) is a type of protein kinase that is specific to the amino acids serine and threonine (i.e., a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase). MAPKs are involved in directing cellular responses ...
signal transduction pathways. The acronym MEK derives from MAPK/ERK Kinase.
Role in melanoma
MEK is a member of the MAPK signaling cascade that is activated in melanoma.
When MEK is inhibited, cell proliferation is blocked and
apoptosis
Apoptosis (from grc, ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, 'falling off') is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death. These changes incl ...
(controlled cell death) is induced.
See also
*
Signal transduction
Signal transduction is the process by which a chemical or physical signal is transmitted through a cell as a series of molecular events, most commonly protein phosphorylation catalyzed by protein kinases, which ultimately results in a cellula ...
*
MAP kinase
A mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK or MAP kinase) is a type of protein kinase that is specific to the amino acids serine and threonine (i.e., a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase). MAPKs are involved in directing cellular responses ...
*
MAP kinase kinase kinase
Mitogen Activated Protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase, MAPKKK (or MAP3K) is a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase which acts upon MAP kinase kinase. Subsequently, MAP kinase kinase activates MAP kinase. Several types of MAPKKK can exist but a ...
*
MAP kinase kinase kinase kinase Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase (MAP4K) is a family of proteins involved in cellular signal transduction.
* MAP4K1 (aka HPK1)
* MAP4K2 (aka GCK)
* MAP4K3 (aka GLK)
* MAP4K4 (aka HGK)
* MAP4K5 (aka KHS)
* MAP4K6 (aka MINK)
...
References
External links
*
Protein kinases
EC 2.7.12
Genes associated with cancer
{{Protein-stub