title: Different domains of the mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK3 and ERK2 direct subcellular localization and upstream specificity in vivo.
abstract: Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 3 (ERK3) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family. ERK3 is most similar in its kinase catalytic domain to ERK2, yet it displays many unique properties. Among these, unlike ERK2, which translocates to the nucleus following activation, ERK3 is constitutively localized to the nucleus, despite the lack of a defined nuclear localization sequence. We created two chimeras between ERK2 and the catalytic domain of ERK3 (ERK3DeltaC), and some mutants of these chimeras, to examine the basis for the different behaviors of these two MAP kinase family members. We find the following: 1) the N-terminal folding domain of ERK3 functions in phosphoryl transfer reactions with the C-terminal folding domain of ERK2; 2) the C-terminal halves of ERK2 and ERK3DeltaC are primarily responsible for their subcellular localization in resting cells; and 3) the N-terminal folding domain of ERK2 is required for its activation in cells, its interaction with MEK1, and its accumulation in the nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9041, USA.
authors.forename: Megan J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Bing-e
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Xu Be
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stippec
authors.forename: Melanie H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Cobb
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D048053:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 6; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011485:Protein Binding; D017510:Protein Folding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048053:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 6; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases