Erk Signaling Pathway

ERK protein kinase was isolated and identified in the early 1990s as a signal transduction protein that transmits mitogen signals. It is often found in the cytosol and is rapidly translocated into the nucleus of the cell when it is activated by mitogens such as various growth factors. The phosphoric acid ERK1/2 acts on transcription factors such as c-Jun, NF-AT, and NF-κB to exert biological effects. ERK is the first MAPK member to be discovered. It is the most widely studied and plays an important role in the development of tumors. The ERK-associated intracellular signaling pathway is thought to be the classical MAPK pathway, an important part of a series of kinase enzymatic cascades that transduce extracellular stimuli from the cell membrane into the nucleus.