Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Assay for Adhesion and Agar Invasion in S. cerevisiae
04:36

Assay for Adhesion and Agar Invasion in S. cerevisiae

Published on: November 8, 2006

MAPKAP kinases - MKs - two's company, three's a crowd

Matthias Gaestel1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Medical School Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany. gaestel.matthias@mh-hannover.de

Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|January 20, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinases (MKs) regulate gene expression, cell structure, and cell division. These crucial signaling molecules are involved in inflammation and cancer pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular signaling and molecular biology.
  • Biochemistry and cancer research.

Background:

  • Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are key regulators of cellular processes.
  • Downstream of MAPKs, three related kinases, MAPK-activated protein kinases (MKs) MK2, MK3, and MK5, transmit signals to various cellular targets.
  • While a common function for all MKs is not established, they play roles in critical cellular activities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the diverse cellular functions regulated by MK2, MK3, and MK5.
  • To highlight the involvement of these kinases in fundamental biological processes including gene expression, cytoskeletal organization, cell cycle, inflammation, and cancer.

Main Methods:

  • The abstract does not specify methods, focusing on the kinases' functions.
  • Literature review and functional analysis of MK2, MK3, and MK5 signaling pathways.

Main Results:

  • MKs regulate gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.
  • These kinases are involved in controlling cytoskeletal architecture and cell-cycle progression.
  • MKs play a role in inflammatory responses and cancer development.

Conclusions:

  • MK2, MK3, and MK5 are versatile signaling molecules downstream of MAPKs.
  • These kinases are implicated in a broad range of cellular functions and disease states, including inflammation and cancer.
  • Further research is warranted to fully understand the specific roles and interactions of each MK.

More Related Videos

Temporal Quantification of MAPK Induced Expression in Single Yeast Cells07:59

Temporal Quantification of MAPK Induced Expression in Single Yeast Cells

Published on: October 5, 2013

Identification of Kinase-substrate Pairs Using High Throughput Screening11:13

Identification of Kinase-substrate Pairs Using High Throughput Screening

Published on: August 29, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Microtubule Associated Proteins (MAPs)01:42

Microtubule Associated Proteins (MAPs)

Microtubule function and architecture are regulated by an array of specialized proteins called microtubule-associated proteins or MAPs. These proteins are widespread across different organisms and have conserved protein motifs, like the multi-TOG domain for tubulin binding found in the CLASP family of MAPs. Some MAPs are lineage-specific based on their conserved domains. Their functions depend upon the cytoskeletal architecture and cell type they are located within. In-plant cells, a specific...
Protein Kinases and Phosphatases02:54

Protein Kinases and Phosphatases

Proteins undergo chemical modifications that trigger changes in the charge, structure, and conformation of the proteins. Phosphorylation, acetylation, glycosylation, nitrosylation, ubiquitination, lipidation, methylation, and proteolysis are various protein modifications that regulate protein activity. Such modifications are usually enzyme-driven.
Protein kinases
Many proteins in the cell are regulated by phosphorylation, the addition of a phosphate group. A family of enzymes called kinases...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
MAPK Signaling Cascades01:07

MAPK Signaling Cascades

Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a rapamycin-insensitive companion...
cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways01:25

cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways

Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) is an essential second messenger that activates protein kinase A (PKA) and regulates various biological processes. A single epinephrine molecule binds to GPCR and activates several heterotrimeric G proteins, each stimulating multiple adenylyl cyclase, amplifying the signal, and synthesizing large numbers of cAMP molecules. Small changes in cAMP concentration affect PKA activity. The binding of four cAMP molecules induces a conformational change in PKA,...