Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants
07:39

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants

Published on: June 6, 2025

37

Atypical MAPKs in cancer

Katrin Dahm1, Parthiban Vijayarangakannan2, Hans-Peter Wollscheid1

  • 1Cell Biology Unit, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, Germany.

The FEBS Journal
|September 30, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Atypical mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) have crucial roles in cancer and immunity. This review explores their unique features, functions, and potential as cancer therapy targets.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Kinase signaling is vital in cell functions and implicated in diseases like cancer.
  • Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are key regulators, but atypical members remain understudied.
  • Targeting kinases is a successful cancer therapy strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the distinctive features of atypical MAPKs.
  • To summarize their regulation, physiological roles, and involvement in cancer.
  • To explore potential targeting strategies for cancer therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of atypical MAPK research.
  • Analysis of their unique structural and functional characteristics.
  • Synthesis of evidence on their roles in carcinogenesis and immunity.

Main Results:

  • Atypical MAPKs (ERK3, ERK4, ERK7/8, NLK) differ significantly from conventional MAPKs.
  • Emerging evidence highlights their importance in cancer, cytoskeleton regulation, and immune responses.
  • Their distinctiveness suggests unique therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Conclusions:

  • Atypical MAPKs are physiologically important and implicated in cancer.
  • Further research into their functions is needed for novel cancer treatment strategies.
  • Targeting atypical MAPKs represents a promising avenue for future cancer therapies.
Keywords:
ERK3ERK4ERK7/8MAPK15MAPK4MAPK6Nemo‐like kinasecancer therapy

More Related Videos

Utilizing 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging and Quantitative Histology to Measure Dynamic Changes in the Glucose Metabolism in Mouse Models of Lung Cancer06:51

Utilizing 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging and Quantitative Histology to Measure Dynamic Changes in the Glucose Metabolism in Mouse Models of Lung Cancer

Published on: July 21, 2018

17.9K
Characterize Disease-related Mutants of RAF Family Kinases by Using a Set of Practical and Feasible Methods07:49

Characterize Disease-related Mutants of RAF Family Kinases by Using a Set of Practical and Feasible Methods

Published on: July 17, 2019

6.0K

Related Concept Videos

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
3.8K
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...
5.3K
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...
6.2K
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...
3.4K
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
4.5K
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
6.4K