A family of protein kinases located upstream of the MAP kinases and responsiblefor their activation has been identified. The prototype member of thisfamily, designated MAP kinase kinase, or MEK-1, specifically phosphorylatesthe MAP kinase regulatory threonine and tyrosine residues present in theThr-Glu-Tyr motif of ERK. A second MEK family member, MEK-2, resemblesMEK-1 in its substrate specificity. MEK-3 (or MKK-3) functions to activatep38 MAP kinase, and MEK-4 (also called SEK1 or MKK-4) activates both p38and JNK MAP kinases. MEK-5 appears to specifically phosphorylate ERK 5,whereas MEK-6 phosphorylates p38 and p38β. MEK-7 (or MKK-7) phosphorylatesand activates the JNK signal transduction pathway.