MAP3K8

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 8 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the MAP3K8 gene.

Function

This gene was identified by its oncogenic transforming activity in cells. The encoded protein is a member of the serine/threonine protein kinase family. This kinase can activate both the MAP kinase and JNK kinase pathways. This kinase was shown to activate IkappaB kinases, and thus induce the nuclear production of NF-kappaB. This kinase was also found to promote the production of TNF-alpha and IL-2 during T lymphocyte activation. Studies of a similar gene in rat suggested the direct involvement of this kinase in the proteolysis of NF-kappaB1,p105 (NFKB1). This gene may also start transcription at a downstream in-frame translation start codon, and thus produce an isoform containing a shorter N-terminus. The shorter isoform has been shown to display weaker transforming activity. In mice, this gene is known as Tpl2 and it is a tumor suppressor gene whose absence contributes to the development and progression of cancer.

Interactions

MAP3K8 has been shown to interact with AKT1, CHUK, NFKB2, NFKB1, and C22orf25.