| First Author | Nakano K | Year | 2000 |
| Journal | J Biol Chem | Volume | 275 |
| Issue | 27 | Pages | 20533-9 |
| PubMed ID | 10801798 | Mgi Jnum | J:63297 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1860727 | Doi | 10.1074/jbc.M001009200 |
| Citation | Nakano K, et al. (2000) NESK, a member of the germinal center kinase family that activates the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway and is expressed during the late stages of embryogenesis. J Biol Chem 275(27):20533-9 |
| abstractText | The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in cellular responses stimulated by stress-inducing agents and proinflammatory cytokines. The group I germinal center kinase family members selectively activate the JNK pathway. In this study, we have isolated a mouse cDNA encoding a protein kinase homologous to Nck-interacting kinase (NIK), a member of the group I germinal center kinase family. This protein kinase is expressed during the late stages of embryogenesis, but not in adult tissues, and thus named NESK (NIK-like embryo-specific kinase). NESK selectively activated the JNK pathway when overexpressed in HEK 293 cells but did not stimulate the p38 kinase or extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. NESK-induced JNK activation was inhibited by the dominant negative mutants of MEKK1 and MKK4. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha or TNF receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) stimulated the NESK activity. Furthermore, the dominant negative NESK mutant inhibited the JNK activation induced by TNF-alpha or TRAF2. These results suggest that NESK, a novel activator of the JNK pathway, functions in coupling TRAF2 to the MEKK1 --> MKK4 --> JNK kinase cascade during the late stages of mammalian embryogenesis. |
