Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase explained

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase
Ec Number:	2.7.12.2

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (also known as MAP2K, MEK, MAPKK) is a dual-specificity kinase enzyme which phosphorylates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK).

MAP2K is classified as .

There are seven genes:

• (a.k.a. MEK1)
• (a.k.a. MEK2)
• (a.k.a. MKK3)
• (a.k.a. MKK4)
• (a.k.a. MKK5)
• (a.k.a. MKK6)
• (a.k.a. MKK7)

The activators of p38 (MKK3 and MKK6), JNK (MKK4 and MKK7), and ERK (MEK1 and MEK2) define independent MAP kinase signal transduction pathways.^[1] The acronym MEK derives from MAPK/ERK Kinase.^[2]

Role in melanoma

MEK is a member of the MAPK signaling cascade that is activated in melanoma.^[3] When MEK is inhibited, cell proliferation is blocked and apoptosis (controlled cell death) is induced.

See also

• Signal transduction
• MAP kinase
• MAP kinase kinase kinase
• MAP kinase kinase kinase kinase

Notes and References

1. Dérijard B, etal . Independent human MAP-kinase signal transduction pathways defined by MEK and MKK isoforms. 1995. Science. 267. 5198. 682–5. 10.1126/science.7839144 . 7839144. 1995Sci...267..682D. 9153074.
2. Systemic Redox Regulation of Cellular Information Processing . Dwivedi . Gaurav . Kemp . Melissa L. . February 15, 2012 . Antioxidants & Redox Signaling . 10.1089/ars.2011.4034 . 3279717 . 21939387 . 16 . 4 . 374–80.
3. Falchook . Gerald S. . Lewis . Karl D. . Infante . Jeffrey R. . Gordon . Michael S. . Vogelzang . Nicholas J. . DeMarini . Douglas J. . Fecher . Leslie A. . etal . 2012 . Activity of the oral MEK inhibitor trametinib in patients with advanced melanoma: a phase 1 dose-escalation trial . The Lancet Oncology . 13 . 8 . 782–789 . 10.1016/S1470-2045(12)70269-3 . 4109286 . 22805292.