title: Human mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7) is a highly conserved c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) activated by environmental stresses and physiological stimuli.
abstract: We report the cloning of a novel human activator of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7). The mRNA for MKK7 is widely expressed in humans and mice and encodes a 47-kDa protein (419 amino acids), as determined by immunoblotting endogenous MKK7 with an antibody raised against its N terminus. The kinase domain of MKK7 is closely related to a Drosophila JNK kinase dHep (69% identity) and to a newly identified ortholog from Caenorhabditis elegans (54% identity), and was more distantly related to MKK4, MKK3, and MKK6. MKK7 phosphorylated and activated JNK1 but failed to activate p38 MAPK in co-expression studies. In hematopoietic cells, endogenous MKK7 was activated by treatment with the growth factor interleukin-3 (but not interleukin-4), or by ligation of CD40, the B-cell antigen receptor, or the receptor for the Fc fragment of immunoglobulin. MKK7 was also activated when cells were exposed to heat, UV irradiation, anisomycin, hyperosmolarity or the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Co-expression of constitutively active mutants of RAS, RAC, or CDC42 in HeLa epithelial cells or of RAC or CDC42 in Ba/F3 factor-dependent hematopoietic cells also activated MKK7, suggesting that MKK7 will be involved in many physiological pathways.
authors.affiliation: The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Foltz
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gerl
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wieler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luckach
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Schrader
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004330:Drosophila; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology; D048688:MAP Kinase Kinase 7; D051379:Mice; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048688:MAP Kinase Kinase 7; C482569:MAP2K7 protein, human; C482570:Map2k7 protein, mouse; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases