kinaseERK
ERK kinases, also known as extracellular signal-regulated kinases, are serine/threonine kinases that function in the MAPK signaling cascade. In humans, two main isoforms, ERK1 and ERK2, are encoded by MAPK3 and MAPK1 respectively. The kinases share high sequence similarity and are activated by dual phosphorylation on the activation loop TEY motif by MAP kinase kinases MEK1 and MEK2.
Activation occurs in response to growth factors, mitogens, and other stimuli that activate receptor tyrosine kinases,
Regulation is tight; activity is terminated by dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs/MKPs) and by feedback loops. Aberrant ERK
Therapeutic strategies target the pathway at different nodes; MEK inhibitors (e.g., trametinib) reduce ERK activation, while