Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are protein-serine/threonine kinases activated by signaling pathways triggered by developmental stages, cell-surface receptors, cell stresses and other environmental cues. The MAPK family includes the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and a splice variant of each, at least two ERK3 isoforms, ERK5, ERK7, four p38 MAP kinases (p38α, β, γ, and δ), and three c-Jun-N-terminal kinases/stress-activated protein kinases (JNK1–3/SAPKα, β, and γ), each with multiple splice variants (1,2). These kinases are often categorized based on their most efficacious activators, although all are regulated by numerous overlapping stimuli. ERK1/2 are major targets of Ras-dependent signals and are usually most strongly activated by growth factors and proliferative stimuli. The p38 MAPKs and the JNK/SAPKs are recognized as stress sensors and, in some cases, promote apoptosis. ERK5 is significantly activated by growth factors and stresses and does not fits easily into either of these categories. Signals that activate ERK3 and ERK7 have not been determined.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Lewis, T. S., Shapiro, P. S., and Ahn, N. G. (1998) Signal transduction through MAP kinase cascades. Adv. Cancer Res 74, 49–139.
Pearson, G., Robinson, F., Beers Gibson, T., et al. (2001) Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways: regulation and physiological functions. Endocr. Rev. 22 153–183.
Prowse, C. N., Hagopian, Jonathan C, et al. (2000) Catalytic reaction pathway for the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK2. Biochemistry 39, 6258–6266.
Khokhlatchev, A. V., Canagarajah, B., Atkinson, M., Goldsmith, E., and Cobb, M. H. (1997) Phosphorylation of the map kinase ERK2 promotes its homodimerization and nuclear translocation. Cell 93, 605–615.
Zhang, F., Strand, A., Robbins, D., Cobb, M. H., and Goldsmith, E. J. (1994) Atomic structure of the MAP kinase ERK2 at 2. 3Å resolution. Nature 367, 704–711.
Wang, Z., Harkins, P. C, Ulevitch, R. J., et al. (1997) The structure of the mitogenactivated protein kinase P38 at 2. 1 Å resolution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 2327–2332.
Wilson, K. P., Fitzgibbon, M. J., Caron, P. R., et al. (1996) Crystal structure of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 27,696–27,700.
Pav, S., White, D. M., Rogers, S., et al. (1997) Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of recombinant human p38 MAP kinase. Protein Sci. 6, 242–245.
Xie, X., Gu, Y, Fox, T., et al. (1998) Crystal structure of JNK3: a kinase implicated in neuronal apoptosis. Structure 6, 983–991.
Canagarajah, B. J., Khokhlatchev, A., Cobb, M. H., and Goldsmith, E. J. (1997) Activation mechanism of the MAP kinase ERK2 by dual phosphorylation. Cell 90, 859–869.
Bellon, S., Fitzgibbon, M. J., Fox, T., Hsiao, H.-M., and Wilson, K. P. (1999) The structure of phosphorylated p38γ is monomeric and reveals a conserved activation loop conformation. Structure 7, 1057–1065.
Wilson, K. P., McCaffrey, P. G., Hsiao, K., et al. (1997) The structural basis for the specificity of pyridinylimidazole inhibitors of p38 MAP kinase. Chem. Biol. 4, 423–431.
Wang, W., Canagarajah, B. J., Boehm, J. C, et al. (1998) Structural basis of inhibitor selectivity in MAP kinases. Structure 6, 1117–1128.
Shewchuk, L., Hassell, A., Wisely, B., et al. (2000) Binding mode of the 4-anilinoquinazoline class of protein kinase inhibitor: x-ray crystallographic studies of 4-anilinoquinazolines bound to cyclin-dependent kinase 2 and p38 kinase. J. Med. Chem. 1, 133–138.
Tong, L., Pav, S., White, D. M., et al. (1997) A highly specific inhibitor of human p38 MAP kinase binds in the ATP pocket. Nat. Struct. Biol. 4, 311–316.
Hanks, S. K. and Hunter, T. (1995) The eukaryotic protein kinase superfamily: kinase (catalytic) domain structure and classification. FASEB J. 9, 576–596.
Graziano, M. P., Freissmuth, M., and Gilman, A. G. (1989) Expression of Gsα in Escherichia coli. J. Biol. Chem. 264, 409–418.
Sheffield, P., Garrard, S., and Derewenda, Z. (1999) Overcoming Expression and Purification Problems of RhoGDI Using a Family of Parallel Expression Vectors. Protein Expression Purification 15, 34–39.
Wilsbacher, J. L. and Cobb, M. H. (2001) Bacterial expression of activated MAP kinases. Meth. Enzymol. 332, 387–400.
Khokhlatchev, A., Xu, S., English, J., et al. (1997) Reconstitution of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation cascades in bacteria: efficient synthesis of active protein kinases. J. Biol. Chem. 272, 11,057–11,062.
Ducruix, A. and Giege, R. (1999) Crystallization of Nucleic Acids and Proteins, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
Knighton, D. R., et al. (1991) Crystal structure of the catalytic subunit of cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase. Science 253, 407–413.
Navaza, J. E. (1992) AMoRe: A New Package for Molecular Replacement, SERC, Daresbury, UK.
Brunger, A. T. (1992) X-PLOR Version 3.0: A System for Crystallography and NMR, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.
Brunger, A. T., Adams, P. D., Clore, G. M., et al. (1998) Crystallography and NMR system: a new software suite for macromolecular structure determination. Acta Crystallogr. D Biol. Crystallogr. 54, 905–921.
Hendrickson, W. A., Smith, J. L., Phizackerley, R. P., and Merritt, E. A. (1997) Phase Determination from Multiwavelength Anomalous Diffraction Measurements. Meth. Enzymol. 276, 494–523.
Zhang, J., Zhang, F., Ebert, D., Cobb, M. H., and Goldsmith, E. J. (1995) Activity of the MAP kinase ERK2 is controlled by a flexible surface loop. Structure 3, 299–307.
Knighton, D. R., Zheng, J. H., Ten Eyck, L. F., et al. (1991) Structure of a peptide inhibitor bound to the catalytic subunit of cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase. Science 253, 414–420.
Gibbs, C. S., Knighton, D. R., Sowadski, J. M., Taylor, S. S., and Zoller, M. J. (1992) Systematic mutational analysis of cAMP-dependent protein kinase identifies unregulated catalytic subunits and defines regions important for the recognition of the regulatory subunit. J. Biol. Chem. 267, 4806–4814.
Esnouf, R. M. (1999) Further additions to Mo1Script Version 1. 4, including reading and contouring of electron-density maps. Acta Crystallogr. D Biol. Crystallogr 55, 938–940.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2004 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Goldsmith, E.J., Cobb, M.H., Chang, CI. (2004). Structure of MAPKs. In: Seger, R. (eds) MAP Kinase Signaling Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 250. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-671-1:127
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-671-1:127
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-998-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-671-3
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols