MAPKAPK2 Gene (MAPK-Activated Protein Kinase 2)
A key mediator of p38 MAPK signaling in stress response, inflammation, and cancer
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | MAPKAPK2 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase-Activated Protein Kinase 2 |
| Gene Type | Protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 1q32.1 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 9261 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/9261 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000162889 |
| UniProt ID | P49137 |
| OMIM ID | 602006 |
| HGNC ID | 6887 |
| Aliases | MK2, MAPKAP-K2, MAPKAPK-2 |
Description
MAPKAPK2 (MAPK-activated protein kinase 2) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that acts downstream of p38 MAPK. It phosphorylates multiple substrates involved in post-transcriptional regulation, actin remodeling, cell migration, and inflammatory cytokine production. The gene is widely expressed and plays critical roles in stress responses, immune regulation, and tumor progression.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Inflammatory disorders (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease) | MAPKAPK2 mediates p38-dependent production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL-6) via mRNA stabilization and translation. | PMID: 16959974, 20037584 |
| Cancer (breast, prostate, lung, colorectal) | Overexpression/activation promotes cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis through phosphorylation of HSP27, LSP1, and regulation of actin dynamics. | PMID: 20628086, 23455478, 25944712 |
| Cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis, cardiac hypertrophy) | Regulates inflammatory signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. | PMID: 21558396, 22982223 |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Brain | 12.3 | Medium |
| Heart | 8.7 | Low |
| Lung | 15.2 | Medium |
| Liver | 6.1 | Low |
| Kidney | 10.5 | Medium |
| Spleen | 18.9 | High |
| Testis | 22.4 | High |
| Colon | 14.0 | Medium |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HeLa (cervical carcinoma) | 19.5 | High expression |
| A549 (lung carcinoma) | 16.8 | High expression |
| MCF7 (breast carcinoma) | 12.1 | Medium expression |
| HEK293 (embryonic kidney) | 9.3 | Low expression |
| K562 (leukemia) | 21.0 | High expression |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.1045C>T (p.Arg349Trp) | Missense | <0.1% | Unknown functional effect; rare in population databases |
| c.1129G>A (p.Gly377Ser) | Missense | <0.1% | Predicted benign by in silico tools |
| c.1301A>G (p.Asn434Ser) | Missense | <0.1% | Located in kinase domain; functional impact uncertain |
| Amplification | Copy number gain | ~2-5% in cancers (COSMIC) | Associated with increased mRNA expression in tumors |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
No well-characterized loss-of-function mutations reported in human disease; knockout mice are viable but show reduced inflammatory responses.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Overexpression and hyperactivation (via p38 pathway) are observed in multiple cancers, contributing to oncogenic signaling.
Dominant Negative (DN)
Not described for MAPKAPK2; dominant-negative constructs used experimentally inhibit kinase activity.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
Pathways
• p38 MAPK signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04010)
• MAPK signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04010)
• TNF signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04668)
• IL-17 signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04657)
• Regulation of actin cytoskeleton (KEGG: hsa04810)
Protein Summary
MAPKAPK2 (MK2) is a 400-amino-acid protein kinase with an N-terminal catalytic domain and a C-terminal regulatory domain. It is activated by p38 MAPK-mediated phosphorylation at Thr222, Thr334, and Ser272. Activated MK2 phosphorylates substrates such as HSP27, LSP1, and tristetraprolin (TTP), thereby regulating mRNA stability, actin dynamics, and cell migration. The protein is predominantly cytoplasmic but can translocate to the nucleus upon stress. MK2 is a potential therapeutic target in inflammatory diseases and cancer.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAPKAPK2 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ706 | Human | 9261 | Details Get a Quote |
| MAPKAPK2 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ18158 | Human | 9261 | Details Get a Quote |
| MAPKAPK2 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ19298 | Human | 9261 | Details Get a Quote |
| MAPKAPK2 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ19300 | Human | 9261 | Details Get a Quote |
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