What is the MEK gene?
MEK, also known as Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase and MAP2K, is a kinase enzyme that phosphorylates mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), ERK, p38 and JNK. Seven MEK subtypes have been identified, all mediate cellular responses to different growth signals.
What does MEK stand for biology?
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) activity is required for inhibition of skeletal muscle differentiation by insulin-like growth factor 1 or fibroblast growth factor 2. Endocrinology.
What are MEK1 and MEK2?
MEK1 and MEK2 are dual-specificity kinases that activate ERK1 and ERK2 by phosphorylating them at conserved threonine and tyrosine residues in the T-E-Y motif found in their activation loop.
Is MAPK a serine threonine 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).
What is the Ras MAPK pathway?
The Ras/Raf/MAPK pathway is probably the best characterized signal transduction pathway in cell biology. The function of this pathway is to transduce signals from the extracellular milieu to the cell nucleus where specific genes are activated for cell growth, division and differentiation.
What is the function of MEK?
MEK is a member of the MAPK signaling cascade that is activated in melanoma. When MEK is inhibited, cell proliferation is blocked and apoptosis (controlled cell death) is induced.
What does MEK inhibitor stand for?
MEK stands for MAPK/ERK kinase because of its role in activating the MAPK/ERK pathway; other names for this kinase are MAP2K and MAPKK. Because of its activity upstream of this pathway, MEK affects cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and transcription.
Why is MAPK important?
MAPK pathways relay, amplify and integrate signals from a diverse range of stimuli and elicit an appropriate physiological response including cellular proliferation, differentiation, development, inflammatory responses and apoptosis in mammalian cells.
What is the function of MAP2K1 and MEK1?
MAP2K1/MEK1 has been shown to export PPARG from the nucleus. The MAPK/ERK cascade is also involved in the regulation of endosomal dynamics, including lysosome processing and endosome cycling through the perinuclear recycling compartment (PNRC), as well as in the fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus during mitosis.
How are ERKs and MAP kinases related to each other?
MAP kinases, also known as extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), act as an integration point for multiple biochemical signals. This protein kinase lies upstream of MAP kinases and stimulates the enzymatic activity of MAP kinases upon wide variety of extra- and intracellular signals.
Is the MAP2K1 gene associated with major depressive disorder?
The rs1549854 and rs1432441 polymorphisms of the MAP2K1 gene may be associated with major depressive disorder, especially in females. MEK1 does not act as a general tumor suppressor in leukemogenesis. Rather, its effects strongly depend on the genetic context (RAS versus MYC-driven leukemia) and on the cell type involved.
Which is a target of the MAPK / ERK cascade?
One target of the MAPK/ERK cascade is peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), a nuclear receptor that promotes differentiation and apoptosis. MAP2K1/MEK1 has been shown to export PPARG from the nucleus.