Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) are a family of serine/threonine protein kinases that play a central role in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. They are key intracellular signaling molecules involved in regulating diverse cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, survival, migration, and gene expression. Dysregulation of the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK pathway is implicated in many cancers, and aberrant activity has been linked with chronic inflammation disorders. ERKs are activated by dual phosphorylation on threonine and tyrosine residues by MEK1/2, leading to dimerization, translocation to the nucleus, and phosphorylation of various transcription factors. They can also be activated by other mechanisms including Ca²⁺ influxes or G-protein-coupled receptor pathways.

Other names

MAPK3p44 MAPKERK1MAPK1p42 MAPKERK2

Inhibition of ERK phosphorylation and activation, or inhibition of upstream kinases in the MAPK pathway such as B-Raf or MEK.