MAP4K6/MINK1

MAP4K6/MINK1 is a germinal-center-kinase family serine/threonine kinase that regulates cytoskeletal organization, oncogene-induced cell senescence, and cytokinesis completion[1]. Mechanistically, MINK1 acts within the STRIPAK network, directly interacts with STRN4, and is required for abscission after cleavage-furrow formation[1]. In the Hippo pathway, MAP4K6/MINK1 belongs to the Misshapen homologues MAP4K4/6/7, which directly activate LATS1/2 and regulate YAP/TAZ in parallel with MST1/2[2]. This distinguishes MAP4K6/MINK1 from MST isoforms because combined deletion of MAP4Ks and MST1/2, but neither alone, suppresses LATS1/2 and YAP/TAZ phosphorylation across multiple upstream signals[2]. In immune models, MINK1 negatively regulates Th17 differentiation by phosphorylating SMAD2 T324, thereby limiting SMAD2 activation and autoimmune inflammation[3]. In cancer models, CRISPR kinome screening identified MINK1 as a driver of 5-FU resistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma through the AKT/MDM2/p53 axis, and lestaurtinib inhibited MINK1 kinase activity in resistant cells[4].