title: Primary structure, expression and chromosomal locus of a human homolog of rat ERK3.
abstract: We report the cloning and characterization of a human cDNA encoding a novel homolog of rat extracellular signal-regulated kinase 3 (ERK3). The cDNA encodes a predicted protein of 721 amino acids which shares 92% amino acid identity with rat ERK3 over their shared length. Interestingly, the human protein contains a unique extension of 178 amino acids at its carboxy terminal extremity. The human ERK3 protein also displays various degrees of homology to other members of the MAP kinases family, but does not contain the typical TXY regulatory motif between subdomains VII and VIII. Northern blot analysis revealed that ERK3 mRNA is widely distributed in human tissues, with the highest expression detected in skeletal muscle. The human ERK3 gene was mapped by fluorescence in situ hybridization to chromosome 15q21, a region associated with chromosomal abnormalities in acute nonlymphoblastic leukemias. This information should prove valuable in designing studies to define the cellular function of the ERK3 protein kinase.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche, Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meloche
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Beatty
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pellerin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D002884:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15 / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D048053:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 6; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048053:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 6; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases