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Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Active ERK in the C. elegans Germline
Published on: November 29, 2016
The RAS-ERK pathway: A route for couples
Eugenio Santos1,2, Piero Crespo3,4
1Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain.
Abstract:
Data accumulated over more than three decades demonstrate that the assembly of macrocomplexes, mainly of dimers, is widespread among the members of the different tiers that constitute the RAS-ERK pathway. In this issue of Science Signaling, Yuan et al. report that MEK1 homodimerization is necessary for signal transduction through the RAF-ERK pathway and that cancer-related MEK1 mutations confer enhanced dimerization and resistance to MEK inhibitors. These findings endorse interference with RAS-ERK pathway-component dimerization as a potential therapeutic strategy in cancer patients.
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