THE SEVENMAKER GAIN-OF-FUNCTION MUTATION IN P42 MAP KINASE LEADS TO ENHANCED SIGNALING AND REDUCED SENSITIVITY TO DUAL-SPECIFICITY PHOSPHATASE ACTION

A mammalian mutant MAP kinase, D319N ERK2, analogous to Drosophila melanogaster sevenmaker (rl(sem)) gain-of-function mutation was shown to have an increased sensitivity to low levels of signalling in vivo. However, the mutation does not lead to an elevated basal kinase activity and still requires activation by MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK) as does wild type ERK2. This increased responsiveness seen in vivo is not due to an increased ability to phosphorylate substrates but appears to reflect a reduced sensitivity to a MAP kinase phosphatase CL100.