Regulation of a Kinase Cascade Involved in Cancer and Normal Cell Growth.
Abstract
Among the signaling pathways regulated by growth promoting receptor kinases, one of the best characterized is the p42/p44 MAPK (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase) pathway. In this cytoplasmic kinase cascade, c-Raf Ser/Thi kinase phosphorylates and activates MEKl/2 (MAPK/ERK Kinasel - and 2) which in turn activate p42/p44 MAPKs by phosphorylation. MEKK (MEK Kinase), originally cloned based on sequence homology to yeast kinases BYR2 and STEll, also was able to phosphorylate and activate MEKi in vitro and in vivo overexpression system. However, we found Raf and MEKK show different site preference in phosphorylating MEK, suggesting biochemically these two kinases are not identical. Unlike Raf, MEKK lacks the transformation capacity in cell transformation assay. Instead, expression of activated mutant of MEKK (DMEKK) displayed cell growth inhibition activity. In vivo, MEKK modulates a separate kinase cascade in which MEKK phosphorylates and activates SEKi (also known as MKK4 or JNKKl) which is a direct upstream activating kinase of SAPK/JNK (Stress-Activated-Protein-Kinase/c-Jun N-terminal Kinase). In addition, MEKK fails to activate p38, another subfamily of MAPKs involved in stress response, and may even play a role in downmodulating the p38 pathway.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA314739
Entities
People
- Dennis J. Templeton
- Minhong Yan
Organizations
- Case Western Reserve University