The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the serine/threonine protein kinase family. Although this kinase is found in many tissues, its expression in lymphoid follicles is restricted to the cells of germinal centre, where it may participate in B-cell differentiation. This kinase can be activated by TNF-alpha, and has been shown to specifically activate MAP kinases. This kinase is also found to interact with TNF receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2), which is involved in the activation of MAP3K1/MEKK1.[2] A recent study showed that MAP4K2 is a direct kinase of LATS1/2 and thus regulates the Hippo pathway effectors YAP and TAZ.[3][4]
↑Katz P, Whalen G, Kehrl JH (Jun 1994). "Differential expression of a novel protein kinase in human B lymphocytes. Preferential localization in the germinal center". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 269 (24): 16802–9. PMID7515885.
↑Yuasa T, Ohno S, Kehrl JH, Kyriakis JM (Aug 1998). "Tumor necrosis factor signaling to stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38. Germinal center kinase couples TRAF2 to mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase kinase 1 and SAPK while receptor interacting protein associates with a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase upstream of MKK6 and p38". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 273 (35): 22681–92. doi:10.1074/jbc.273.35.22681. PMID9712898.
Further reading
Vionnet N, Stoffel M, Takeda J, Yasuda K, Bell GI, Zouali H, Lesage S, Velho G, Iris F, Passa P (Apr 1992). "Nonsense mutation in the glucokinase gene causes early-onset non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus". Nature. 356 (6371): 721–2. doi:10.1038/356721a0. PMID1570017.
Matsutani A, Janssen R, Donis-Keller H, Permutt MA (Feb 1992). "A polymorphic (CA)n repeat element maps the human glucokinase gene (GCK) to chromosome 7p". Genomics. 12 (2): 319–25. doi:10.1016/0888-7543(92)90380-B. PMID1740341.
Pombo CM, Kehrl JH, Sánchez I, Katz P, Avruch J, Zon LI, Woodgett JR, Force T, Kyriakis JM (Oct 1995). "Activation of the SAPK pathway by the human STE20 homologue germinal centre kinase". Nature. 377 (6551): 750–4. doi:10.1038/377750a0. PMID7477268.
Yuasa T, Ohno S, Kehrl JH, Kyriakis JM (Aug 1998). "Tumor necrosis factor signaling to stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38. Germinal center kinase couples TRAF2 to mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase kinase 1 and SAPK while receptor interacting protein associates with a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase upstream of MKK6 and p38". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 273 (35): 22681–92. doi:10.1074/jbc.273.35.22681. PMID9712898.
Wissing J, Jänsch L, Nimtz M, Dieterich G, Hornberger R, Kéri G, Wehland J, Daub H (Mar 2007). "Proteomics analysis of protein kinases by target class-selective prefractionation and tandem mass spectrometry". Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. 6 (3): 537–47. doi:10.1074/mcp.T600062-MCP200. PMID17192257.