RAF kinase

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]} RAF-1 is between RAS and MEK just above the centre of the diagram.

RAF kinases are a family of three serine/threonine-specific protein kinases that are related to retroviral oncogenes.^[11] The mouse sarcoma virus 3611 contains a RAF kinase-related oncogene that enhances fibrosarcoma induction. RAF is an acronym for Rapidly Accelerated Fibrosarcoma.^[12]

RAF kinases participate in the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signal transduction cascade, also referred to as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade.^[11] Activation of RAF kinases requires interaction with RAS-GTPases.

The three RAF kinase family members are:

• A-RAF
• B-RAF
• c-Raf

References

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6. Hazzalin CA, Mahadevan LC (2002). "MAPK-regulated transcription: a continuously variable gene switch?". Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 3 (1): 30–40. doi:10.1038/nrm715. PMID 11823796.
7. Kato Y, Kravchenko VV, Tapping RI, Han J, Ulevitch RJ, Lee JD (1997). "BMK1/ERK5 regulates serum-induced early gene expression through transcription factor MEF2C". EMBO J. 16 (23): 7054–66. doi:10.1093/emboj/16.23.7054. PMC 1170308. PMID 9384584.
8. Kiefer F, Tibbles LA, Anafi M, Janssen A, Zanke BW, Lassam N, Pawson T, Woodgett JR, Iscove NN (1996). "HPK1, a hematopoietic protein kinase activating the SAPK/JNK pathway". EMBO J. 15 (24): 7013–25. PMC 452527. PMID 9003777.
9. Pearson G, English JM, White MA, Cobb MH (2001). "ERK5 and ERK2 cooperate to regulate NF-kappaB and cell transformation". J. Biol. Chem. 276 (11): 7927–31. doi:10.1074/jbc.M009764200. PMID 11118448.
10. Weston CR, Lambright DG, Davis RJ (2002). "Signal transduction. MAP kinase signaling specificity". Science. 296 (5577): 2345–7. doi:10.1126/science.1073344. PMID 12089430.
11. Roskoski R (August 2010). "RAF protein-serine/threonine kinases: structure and regulation" (PDF). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 399 (3): 313–7. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.07.092. PMID 20674547.
12. Zebisch A, Troppmair J (June 2006). "Back to the roots: the remarkable RAF oncogene story". Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 63 (11): 1314–30. doi:10.1007/s00018-006-6005-y. PMID 16649144.