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MEK6 |
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| Sequential activation of protein kinases within the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinases) cascades is a common mechanism of signal transduction in many cellular processes. The ERK signaling cascade is a central MAPK pathway that plays a role in the regulation of various cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, development, learning, and survival. Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MAPKK) phosphorylate MAPK. MEK (MAP kinase or ERK kinase) is the immediate upstream activator kinase of ERK.
MEK6 encodes a 334-amino acid protein with 82% identity to MKK3. MEK6 is highly expressed in skeletal muscle like many other members of this family, but in contrast to MKK3 its expression in leukocytes is very low. The human MEKs (MEK1, MEK2, MEK3) show remarkably different activity toward ERKl and ERK2. MEK2 is the most active ERK activator. MEK3 is inactive toward ERKl or ERK2. MEK3, MEK4, and MEK6 phosphorylate and activate p38 MAP kinase. The p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signal transduction pathway is activated by proinflammatory cytokines and environmental stress. Transcription factors such as ATF2 and Elk-1 are targets of the p38 MAP kinase signal transduction pathway. |
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3) Stein B et al. 1996, J Biol Chem. 271(19):11427-11433.
4) Zheng CF and Guan KL, 1993, J. Biol. Chem. 268:11435-11439.
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