Anti-MEK4/MAP2K4 Antibody Picoband® Fluoro488 Conjugated

Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the MAP2K4 gene. It is mapped to 10q23.31. This gene encodes a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. Members of this family act as an integration point for multiple biochemical signals and are involved in a wide variety of cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, transcription regulation, and development. They form a three-tiered signaling module composed of MAPKKKs, MAPKKs, and MAPKs. This protein is phosphorylated at serine and threonine residues by MAPKKKs and subsequently phosphorylates downstream MAPK targets at threonine and tyrosine residues. A similar protein in mouse has been reported to play a role in liver organogenesis. A pseudogene of this gene is located on the long arm of chromosome X. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants.

Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4; MAP kinase kinase 4; MAPKK 4; JNK-activating kinase 1; MAPK/ERK kinase 4; MEK 4; SAPK/ERK kinase 1; SEK1; Stress-activated protein kinase kinase 1; SAPK kinase 1; SAPKK-1; SAPKK1; c-Jun N-terminal kinase kinase 1; JNKK; MAP2K4; JNKK1; MEK4; MKK4; PRKMK4; SEK1; SERK1; SKK1

Dual specificity protein kinase which acts as an essential component of the MAP kinase signal transduction pathway. Essential component of the stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAP/JNK) signaling pathway. With MAP2K7/MKK7, is the one of the only known kinase to ly activate the stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinases MAPK8/JNK1, MAPK9/JNK2 and MAPK10/JNK3. MAP2K4/MKK4 and MAP2K7/MKK7 both activate the JNKs by phosphorylation, but they differ in their preference for the phosphorylation site in the Thr-Pro-Tyr motif. MAP2K4 shows preference for phosphorylation of the Tyr residue and MAP2K7/MKK7 for the Thr residue. The phosphorylation of the Thr residue by MAP2K7/MKK7 seems to be the prerequisite for JNK activation at least in response to proinflammatory cytokines, while other stimuli activate both MAP2K4/MKK4 and MAP2K7/MKK7 which synergistically phosphorylate JNKs. MAP2K4 is required for maintaining peripheral lymphoid homeostasis. The MKK/JNK signaling pathway is also involved in mitochondrial death signaling pathway, including the release cytochrome c, leading to apoptosis. Whereas MAP2K7/MKK7 exclusively activates JNKs, MAP2K4/MKK4 additionally activates the p38 MAPKs MAPK11, MAPK12, MAPK13 and MAPK14.

1. Entrez Gene: MAP2K4 mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4. 2. Lin A, Minden A, Martinetto H, Claret FX, Lange-Carter C, Mercurio F, Johnson GL, Karin M (May 1995) . Identification of a dual specificity kinase that activates the Jun kinases and p38-Mpk2.Science 268 (5208) : 286–90.