title: Human HPK1, a novel human hematopoietic progenitor kinase that activates the JNK/SAPK kinase cascade.
abstract: The c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNKs)/stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs) play a crucial role in stress responses in mammalian cells. The mechanism underlying this pathway in the hematopoietic system is unclear, but it is a key in understanding the molecular basis of blood cell differentiation. We have cloned a novel protein kinase, termed hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), that is expressed predominantly in hematopoietic cells, including early progenitor cells. HPK1 is related distantly to the p21(Cdc42/Rac1)-activated kinase (PAK) and yeast STE20 implicated in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. Expression of HPK1 activates JNK1 specifically, and it elevates strongly AP-1-mediated transcriptional activity in vivo. HPK1 binds and phosphorylates MEKK1 directly, whereas JNK1 activation by HPK1 is inhibited by a dominant-negative MEKK1 or MKK4/SEK mutant. Interestingly, unlike PAK65, HPK1 does not contain the small GTPase Rac1/Cdc42-binding domain and does not bind to either Rac1 or Cdc42, suggesting that HPK1. activation is Rac1/Cdc42-independent. These results indicate that HPK1 is a novel functional activator of the JNK/SAPK signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Hematology, Amgen, Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D011494:Protein Kinases; C102102:hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; C482576:MAP3K1 protein, human; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; C482559:MAP2K4 protein, human; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins