Mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 mRNA (MAPK1 mRNA)

Mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) mRNA, also known as ERK2 mRNA, is the transcript that encodes the ERK2 protein, a critical component of the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK signaling cascade. This pathway is a central regulator of fundamental cellular processes including growth, proliferation, survival, and differentiation in response to extracellular stimuli (UniProt: P28482). In many human cancers, the MAPK pathway is constitutively active due to mutations in upstream regulators like RAS or BRAF, making the components of this pathway, including the mRNA of its terminal kinases, attractive therapeutic targets (PubMed: 30401435). While most clinical interventions currently focus on small molecule inhibitors of the ERK protein, targeting the mRNA via RNA interference (siRNA) or antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) offers a method to deplete the protein reservoir entirely, potentially overcoming certain resistance mechanisms associated with kinase inhibitors (PubMed: 28813486). Therapeutic strategies targeting MAPK1 mRNA aim to downregulate the expression of the ERK2 protein to arrest tumor growth and induce apoptosis in MAPK-dependent malignancies.

Other names

ERK2 mRNAExtracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 mRNAPRKM1 mRNAP42MAPK mRNAMitogen-activated protein kinase 2 mRNA

RNA interference (siRNA) or RNase H-mediated degradation (ASO) to prevent the translation of the MAPK1 protein, thereby inhibiting the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.