Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cascades

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• Reviews
• Pathway Key
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Pathway Description:

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) are a family of Ser/Thr protein kinases widely conserved among eukaryotes and are involved in many cellular programs such as cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell movement and cell death. MAPK signaling cascades are organized hierarchically into three-tiered modules. MAPKs are phosphorylated and activated by MAPK-kinases (MAPKKs), which in turn are phosphorylated and activated by MAPKK-kinases (MAPKKKs). The MAPKKKs are in turn activated by interaction with the family of small GTPases and/or other protein kinases, connecting the MAPK module to cell surface receptors or external stimuli.

Selected Reviews:

• Cobb MH (1999) MAP kinase pathways. Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 71(3-4), 479–500.
• Pearson G, Robinson F, Beers Gibson T, Xu BE, Karandikar M, Berman K, Cobb MH (2001) Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways: regulation and physiological functions. Endocr. Rev. 22(2), 153–83.
• Lewis TS, Shapiro PS, Ahn NG (1998) Signal transduction through MAP kinase cascades. Adv. Cancer Res. 74, 49–139.
• Murphy LO, Blenis J (2006) MAPK signal specificity: the right place at the right time. Trends Biochem. Sci. 31(5), 268–75.

created January 2002 • revised January 2007