Serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the STK3 gene. Protein kinase activation is a frequent response of cells to treatment with growth factors, chemicals, heat shock, or apoptosis-inducing agents. This protein kinase activation presumably allows cells to resist unfavorable environmental conditions. The yeast 'sterile 20' (Ste20) kinase acts upstream of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade that is activated under a variety of stress conditions. MST2 was identified as a kinase that is activated by the proapoptotic agents straurosporine and FAS ligand (MIM 134638) (Taylor et al., 1996 [PubMed 8816758]; Lee et al., 2001 [PubMed 11278283]).[supplied by OMIM]. Publication Note: This RefSeq record includes a subset of the publications that are available for this gene. Please see the Gene record to access additional publications.
Stress-activated, pro-apoptotic kinase which, following caspase-cleavage, enters the nucleus and induces chromatin condensation followed by internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Key component of the Hippo signaling pathway which plays a pivotal role in organ size control and tumor suppression by restricting proliferation and promoting apoptosis. The core of this pathway is composed of a kinase cascade wherein MST1/MST2, in complex with its regulatory protein SAV1, phosphorylates and activates LATS1/2 in complex with its regulatory protein MOB1, which in turn phosphorylates and inactivates YAP1 oncoprotein and WWTR1/TAZ. Phosphorylation of YAP1 by LATS2 inhibits its translocation into the nucleus to regulate cellular genes important for cell proliferation, cell death, and cell migration. MST1/MST2 are required to repress proliferation of mature hepatocytes, to prevent activation of facultative adult liver stem cells (oval cells), and to inhibit tumor formation. Phosphorylates NKX2-1 (By similarity).