Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41318559›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Structural basis for MEKK2 dimerization and substrate recognition.

Kimberly J Vish, Clotilde Huet-Calderwood, Byung Hak Ha, David A Calderwood, Titus J Boggon

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Kimberly J VishDepartment of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9394-1218
Clotilde Huet-CalderwoodDepartment of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Byung Hak HaDepartment of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
David A CalderwoodDepartment of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0791-4142
Titus J BoggonDepartment of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. titus.boggon@yale.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2862-1637

Funding

PREDOCTORAL PROGRAM IN BIOPHYSICST32GM008283 · NIGMS · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI XIONG, YONG · 1988 to 2022
$10.5M
Signaling mechanisms of the cerebral cavernous malformations protein complexR01NS134606 · NINDS · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Titus Jonathon Boggon, DAVID A CALDERWOOD · 2024 to 2026
$1.7M
Structural Investigation of p120RasGAP's regulation by phosphorylated binding partnersF31HL165968 · NHLBI · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI VISH, KIMBERLY JEAN · 2022 to 2024
$143k
American Heart Association (American Heart Association, Inc.) 961309NHLBI NIH HHS F31 HL165968NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM008283NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS134606U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) F31HL165968U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) R01NS134606
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Signaling downstream of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinases (MAP3K) is promiscuous. In the vascular and immune systems the MAP3K, MEKK2, activates different substrates, but the mechanisms of substrate targeting have not been delineated. Here, we determine the 2.4 Å crystal structure of the MEKK2 kinase domain in complex with the small molecule inhibitor, ponatinib. We find that MEKK2 dimerizes by a surface centered on the αG helix and the C-terminal region of the activation segment, that this surface is important for MEKK2 autophosphorylation and dimerization, and that this surface is conserved with MEKK3. We then assess the importance of the surface for phosphorylation and recruitment of two MAP2K substrates, MEK5 and MKK6. We find that both MEK5 and MKK6 require the αG helix-mediated interaction for phosphorylation. In contrast, MEKK2 recruitment of MEK5 is dependent on PB1 domain interactions but MKK6 recruitment is associated with the αG helix-mediated interaction. Our study therefore provides a framework to understand diverse substrate targeting by the MAP3Ks, MEKK2 and MEKK3.

Indexed as

MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 2Protein MultimerizationCrystallography, X-RayHEK293 CellsHumansImidazolesMAP Kinase Kinase 2MAP Kinase Kinase 5MAP Kinase Kinase 6Models, MolecularPhosphorylationProtein BindingProtein DomainsSubstrate SpecificityImidazolesMAP2K2 protein, humanMAP2K6 protein, humanMAP Kinase Kinase 2MAP Kinase Kinase 5MAP Kinase Kinase 6MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 2

Identifiers

PMID41318559
PMCPMC12780230

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.