Crystal Structures of MEK1 Binary and Ternary Complexes with Nucleotides and Inhibitors.

MEK1 is a member of the MAPK signal transduction pathway that responds to growth factors and cytokines. We have determined that the kinase domain spans residues 35−382 by proteolytic cleavage. The complete kinase domain has been crystallized and its X-ray crystal structure as a complex with magnesium and ATP-γS determined at 2.1 A. Unlike crystals of a truncated kinase domain previously published, the crystals of the intact domain can be grown either as a binary complex with a nucleotide or as a ternary complex with a nucleotide and one of a multitude of allosteric inhibitors. Further, the crystals allow for the determination of costructures with ATP competitive inhibitors. We describe the structures of nonphosphorylated MEK1 (npMEK1) binary complexes with ADP and K252a, an ATP-competitive inhibitor (see Table 1), at 1.9 and 2.7 A resolution, respectively. Ternary complexes have also been solved between npMEK1, a nucleotide, and an allosteric non-ATP competitive inhibitor: ATP-γS with compound 1 and ADP w...