MAP3K4
Chr 6mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 4
Also known as: MAPKKK4, MEKK 4, MEKK4, MTK1, PRO0412
The central core of each mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is a conserved cascade of 3 protein kinases: an activated MAPK kinase kinase (MAPKKK) phosphorylates and activates a specific MAPK kinase (MAPKK), which then activates a specific MAPK. While the ERK MAPKs are activated by mitogenic stimulation, the CSBP2 and JNK MAPKs are activated by environmental stresses such as osmotic shock, UV irradiation, wound stress, and inflammatory factors. This gene encodes a MAPKKK, the MEKK4 protein, also called MTK1. This protein contains a protein kinase catalytic domain at the C terminus. The N-terminal nonkinase domain may contain a regulatory domain. Expression of MEKK4 in mammalian cells activated the CSBP2 and JNK MAPK pathways, but not the ERK pathway. In vitro kinase studies indicated that recombinant MEKK4 can specifically phosphorylate and activate PRKMK6 and SERK1, MAPKKs that activate CSBP2 and JNK, respectively but cannot phosphorylate PRKMK1, an MAPKK that activates ERKs. MEKK4 is a major mediator of environmental stresses that activate the CSBP2 MAPK pathway, and a minor mediator of the JNK pathway. Several alternatively spliced transcripts encoding distinct isoforms have been described. [provided by RefSeq, May 2014]
Population Genetics & Constraint
gnomAD v4 — loss-of-function & missense intolerance
Highly LoF-intolerant (top ~10% of genes)
Moderately missense-constrained (top ~2.5%)
ClinVar Variant Classifications
234 submitted variants in ClinVar
Classification Summary
Curated Variants Distribution
Classified variants from ClinVar · 5 ACMG categories
| Classification | LoF | Missense + Inframe | Non-coding | Synonymous | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pathogenic | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 29 |
Likely Pathogenic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
VUS | 0 | 186 | 7 | 0 | 193 |
Likely Benign | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Benign | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Conflicting | — | 1 | |||
| Total | 0 | 192 | 40 | 1 | 234 |
LoF = frameshift, stop gained/lost, canonical splice · Counts from ClinVar esearch · Updated hourly
View in ClinVar →Protein Context — Lollipop Plot
MAP3K4 · protein map & ClinVar variants
Showing all ClinVar variants across the protein. Search a specific variant to highlight its position.
OMIM — Genotype-Phenotype Relationships
1 OMIM entry
External Resources
Links to major genomics databases and tools
Variant Interpretation
Population Databases
Gene Resources
Expert Curation
Clinical Trials
Active and recruiting trials from ClinicalTrials.gov
No active trials found for this gene.
Search ClinicalTrials.gov →External Resources
Links to major genomics databases and tools