ERK1/2 MAP kinases in cell survival and apoptosis

  • IUBMB Life. 2006 Nov;58(11):621-31. doi: 10.1080/15216540600957438.
Zhimin Lu  1 ,  Shuichan Xu
Affiliations
  • 1. Brain Tumor Center and Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. [email protected]
PMID: 17085381 DOI: 10.1080/15216540600957438
Abstract

ERK1/2 is an important subfamily of mitogen-activated protein Kinases that control a broad range of cellular activities and physiological processes. ERK1/2 can be activated transiently or persistently by MEK1/2 and upstream MAP3Ks in conjunction with regulation and involvement of scaffolding proteins and phosphatases. Activation of ERK1/2 generally promotes cell survival; but under certain conditions, ERK1/2 can have pro-apoptotic functions.