Overview:

MEK1 is a member of the dual specificity protein kinase family that acts as a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase. MEK1 lies upstream of MAPK/ERK and stimulates the enzymatic activity of MAPK/ERK upon a wide variety of extra- and intracellular signals. As an essential component of MAPK/ERK signal transduction pathway, MEK1 is involved in many cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, transcription regulation and development (1). Constitutive activation of MEK1 results in cellular transformation. Thus, MEK1 represents a likely target for pharmacologic intervention in proliferative disease such as cancer (2).

References:

1. Seger, R. et al: The MAPK signaling cascade. FASEB J. 9: 726-735, 1995.

2. Sebolt-Leopold, J S. et al: Blockade of the MAP kinase pathway suppresses growth of colon tumors in vivo. Nature Med. 5: 810-816, 1999.