Kinase Subfamily ERK3

Kinase Classification: Group CMGC: Family MAPK: Subfamily ERK3

{This article is a stub}

ERK3 (Extracellular signal Regulated Kinase) is a poorly-studied subfamily of MAPK. The family is eumetazoan-specific (i.e. in animals other than sponges), but is lost from both C. elegans and Drosophila. Mammals have two members, ERK3 and ERK4.

ERK3 can activate the MK5 kinase, which is also lost from worms and flies.

ERK3 lacks the TxY motif of most other MAPK, replacing it with SEG (in mammals). The S is known to be phosphorylated, so may act as a more traditional activation loop.

Like ERK7, ERK3 has an N-terminal kinase domain with a long C-terminal uncharacterized region, no known upstream activating kinase, and is controlled by ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated turnover.