MAPK12: Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 12
A key regulator of stress response, differentiation, and inflammation, with implications in cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | MAPK12 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 12 |
| Gene Type | Protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 22q13.33 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 6300 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6300 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000100099 |
| UniProt ID | P53778 |
| OMIM ID | 602399 |
| HGNC ID | 6874 |
| Aliases | ERK6, SAPK3, p38gamma, PRKM12 |
Description
MAPK12 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 12) encodes a member of the p38 MAP kinase family, specifically p38 gamma. This serine/threonine kinase is activated by cellular stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and growth factors. It plays a critical role in signal transduction cascades regulating cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory responses. MAPK12 is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and heart, and its dysregulation is implicated in various cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer (various) | MAPK12 can act as a tumor suppressor or oncogene depending on context; altered expression and mutations affect cell proliferation and survival pathways. | COSMIC; PubMed studies |
| Neurodegenerative disorders | MAPK12 contributes to tau phosphorylation and neuroinflammation, linked to Alzheimer's disease pathology. | PubMed; UniProt |
| Inflammatory diseases | MAPK12 regulates cytokine production and immune cell activation, implicated in rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. | PubMed; NCBI Gene |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Skeletal muscle | 72.3 | High |
| Heart | 38.1 | Medium |
| Brain | 12.5 | Low |
| Lung | 8.2 | Low |
| Liver | 4.1 | Not detected |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HeLa | 15.2 | Moderate expression |
| A549 | 22.8 | Moderate expression |
| K562 | 6.7 | Low expression |
| MCF7 | 11.3 | Moderate expression |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| p.Gly170Arg | Missense | <0.1% | Altered kinase activity; potential gain-of-function |
| p.Arg186Gln | Missense | <0.1% | Reduced catalytic activity; loss-of-function |
| p.Val196Ile | Missense | <0.1% | Unknown functional impact |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
p.Arg186Gln reduces kinase activity, impairing downstream signaling.
Gain of Function (GOF)
p.Gly170Arg may enhance kinase activity, promoting oncogenic signaling.
Dominant Negative (DN)
No well-characterized dominant-negative mutations reported.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
Pathways
• MAPK signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04010)
• p38 MAPK signaling pathway (Reactome: R-HSA-171007)
• TNF signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04668)
• Toll-like receptor signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04620)
Protein Summary
MAPK12 (p38 gamma) is a 367-amino acid serine/threonine protein kinase with a molecular weight of approximately 42 kDa. It contains a conserved kinase domain and a TGY dual phosphorylation motif essential for activation. The protein is predominantly cytoplasmic but can translocate to the nucleus upon stimulation. It phosphorylates downstream targets such as transcription factors (e.g., ATF2, MEF2) and other kinases, modulating gene expression in response to stress and inflammatory signals.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAPK12 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ1354 | Human | 6300 | Details Get a Quote |
| MAPK12 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20830 | Human | 6300 | Details Get a Quote |
| MAPK12 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20831 | Human | 6300 | Details Get a Quote |
| MAPK12 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20832 | Human | 6300 | Details Get a Quote |
