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Catalytic domain of the Serine/Threonine Kinase, Mixed Lineage Kinase 4 STKs catalyze the transfer of the gamma-phosphoryl group from ATP to serine/threonine residues on protein substrates. MLK4 is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K, MKKK, MAPKKK), which phosphorylates and activates MAPK kinases (MAPKKs or MKKs or MAP2Ks), which in turn phosphorylate and activate MAPKs during signaling cascades that are important in mediating cellular responses to extracellular signals. The specific function of MLK4 is yet to be determined. Mutations in the kinase domain of MLK4 have been detected in colorectal cancers. Mammals have four MLKs, mostly conserved in vertebrates, which contain an SH3 domain, a catalytic kinase domain, a leucine zipper, a proline-rich region, and a CRIB domain that mediates binding to GTP-bound Cdc42 and Rac. MLKs play roles in immunity and inflammation, as well as in cell death, proliferation, and cell cycle regulation.The MLK4 subfamily is part of a larger superfamily that includes the catalytic domains of other STKs, protein tyrosine kinases, RIO kinases, aminoglycoside phosphotransferase, choline kinase, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase.
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