A0A1S3BTE3

UniProt ID: A0A1S3BTE3
Organism: Cucumis melo
Review Status: DRAFT
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Gene Description

A0A1S3BTE3 encodes a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in Cucumis melo (muskmelon). The protein belongs to the CMGC kinase superfamily, MAP kinase subfamily, and contains a conserved protein kinase domain (residues 25-316) with a TDY dual-phosphorylation motif in its activation loop, classifying it as a Group D MAPK. MAPKs are serine/threonine kinases that function as terminal components of three-tiered phosphorylation cascades (MAPKKK-MAPKK-MAPK) and are activated by dual phosphorylation on the Thr and Tyr residues of the TXY motif by upstream MAPK kinases. In plants, MAPKs are central signal transducers that relay extracellular stimuli into intracellular responses, with established roles in biotic stress defense, abiotic stress tolerance, hormone signaling, and developmental regulation. The protein uses ATP as a phosphate donor to phosphorylate serine and threonine residues on downstream substrates (EC:2.7.11.24).

Existing Annotations Review

GO Term Evidence Action Reason
GO:0000165 MAPK cascade
IEA
GO_REF:0000108
ACCEPT
Summary: This annotation was inferred by logical inference from the MAP kinase activity annotation (GO:0004707). MAPKs are by definition components of MAPK cascades, functioning as the terminal kinase in the three-tiered MAPKKK-MAPKK-MAPK phosphorylation relay. The CDD domain assignment (STKc_TDY_MAPK) and membership in the MAP kinase subfamily confirm this protein is a bona fide MAPK cascade component.
Reason: Participation in the MAPK cascade is an inherent property of MAP kinases and is well supported by the domain architecture and subfamily classification.
Supporting Evidence:
file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP kinase subfamily.
GO:0000166 nucleotide binding
IEA
GO_REF:0000104
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED
Summary: Nucleotide binding is technically correct for this kinase, as it binds ATP, but this is a very broad parent term. The more specific ATP binding term (GO:0005524) is already annotated and provides far more biological specificity. Kinases bind ATP specifically, not nucleotides in general.
Reason: The term is redundant with the more specific GO:0005524 (ATP binding) annotation and adds no biological information beyond what that term already conveys.
Supporting Evidence:
file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
ATP-binding
GO:0004707 MAP kinase activity
IEA
GO_REF:0000120
ACCEPT
Summary: MAP kinase activity is the core molecular function of this protein. The UniProt entry assigns EC:2.7.11.24 (MAP kinase), and the protein is classified in the MAP kinase subfamily with the characteristic CDD domain STKc_TDY_MAPK. The catalytic activity annotations in UniProt describe phosphorylation of both serine and threonine residues on protein substrates using ATP, consistent with the dual-specificity serine/threonine kinase activity that defines MAPKs.
Reason: This is the most informative and specific molecular function term for this enzyme, matching the EC number, domain architecture, and subfamily classification.
Supporting Evidence:
file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
EC=2.7.11.24
file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP kinase subfamily.
GO:0005524 ATP binding
IEA
GO_REF:0000120
KEEP AS NON CORE
Summary: ATP binding is essential for kinase catalytic activity. The UniProt entry identifies a specific ATP-binding site at residue 54 within the protein kinase domain, and the protein carries the ATP-binding keyword. ATP serves as the phosphate donor in the phosphotransferase reaction catalyzed by this MAPK.
Reason: ATP binding is mechanistically required for kinase function but is not the distinguishing core function of the protein. MAP kinase activity (GO:0004707) already implies ATP use. Retaining as non-core since it describes a genuine molecular property.
Supporting Evidence:
file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
BINDING 54 /ligand="ATP"
file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
ATP-binding
GO:0007165 signal transduction
IEA
GO_REF:0000117
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED
Summary: Signal transduction is a broad biological process term. While MAPKs are certainly signal transducers, the more specific MAPK cascade term (GO:0000165) is already annotated and provides a much more informative description of the signaling pathway this protein participates in. Signal transduction is a parent term of MAPK cascade.
Reason: The term is technically correct but redundant with the more specific GO:0000165 (MAPK cascade) annotation. The broad signal transduction term adds no specificity beyond what the MAPK cascade annotation already provides.
Supporting Evidence:
file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP kinase subfamily.
GO:0106310 protein serine kinase activity
IEA
GO_REF:0000116
KEEP AS NON CORE
Summary: This annotation was derived from the Rhea-mapped catalytic activity for serine phosphorylation (RHEA:17989). The UniProt entry explicitly describes catalysis of L-seryl-[protein] + ATP phosphorylation. While this is correct, the MAP kinase activity term (GO:0004707) is more specific and already captures the fact that MAPKs phosphorylate serine (and threonine) residues on substrates.
Reason: The serine kinase activity is a genuine molecular function of this enzyme, directly supported by the Rhea-curated catalytic reaction, but it is less informative than the MAP kinase activity term which already encompasses serine/threonine phosphorylation.
Supporting Evidence:
file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
L-seryl-[protein] + ATP = O-phospho-L-seryl-[protein] + ADP

Core Functions

A0A1S3BTE3 is a mitogen-activated protein kinase that catalyzes the transfer of phosphate from ATP to serine and threonine residues on downstream protein substrates (EC:2.7.11.24). It functions as the terminal kinase in three-tiered MAPK signaling cascades, relaying signals from upstream MAPK kinases to downstream effectors. The TDY activation loop motif classifies it as a Group D MAPK.

Molecular Function:
MAP kinase activity
Directly Involved In:
Supporting Evidence:
  • file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
    EC=2.7.11.24
  • file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
    Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP kinase subfamily.

References

Electronic Gene Ontology annotations created by transferring manual GO annotations between related proteins based on shared sequence features
  • Transfers the broad nucleotide binding term, which is redundant with the more specific ATP binding annotation.
Automatic assignment of GO terms using logical inference, based on on inter-ontology links
  • Correctly infers MAPK cascade involvement from the MAP kinase activity annotation via inter-ontology logical links.
Automatic Gene Ontology annotation based on Rhea mapping
  • Correctly maps the Rhea-curated serine phosphorylation reaction to protein serine kinase activity.
Electronic Gene Ontology annotations created by ARBA machine learning models
  • ARBA assigns the broad signal transduction term, which is redundant with the more specific MAPK cascade annotation.
Combined Automated Annotation using Multiple IEA Methods
  • Correctly recovers both MAP kinase activity and ATP binding from multiple IEA sources including InterPro and EC number mapping.
file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
UniProt entry A0A1S3BTE3
  • Identifies the protein as a mitogen-activated protein kinase with EC:2.7.11.24.
  • Records catalytic activity for both serine and threonine phosphorylation using ATP.
  • Classifies the protein in the CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family, MAP kinase subfamily.
  • Identifies the CDD domain STKc_TDY_MAPK, indicating a Group D MAPK with TDY activation loop motif.

Suggested Questions for Experts

Q: Which specific MAPK cascade does this Group D MAPK participate in, and what upstream MAPKK activates it?

Q: What are the downstream phosphorylation substrates of this MAPK in Cucumis melo, and which stress or developmental pathways do they mediate?

Q: Is this MAPK orthologous to Arabidopsis MPK3, MPK4, or MPK6, and does it share similar roles in pathogen defense or abiotic stress signaling?

Suggested Experiments

Experiment: Express and purify the recombinant protein and a candidate upstream MAPKK from melon, perform in vitro kinase assays to confirm phosphorylation of the TDY motif, and use phospho-specific antibodies to monitor activation in vivo under pathogen challenge or drought stress.

Hypothesis: This MAPK is activated by dual phosphorylation on its TDY motif by an upstream MAPKK during biotic or abiotic stress.

Type: in vitro kinase assay with phosphorylation-specific western blotting

Experiment: Generate VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing) knockdown lines in melon and assess susceptibility to fungal or bacterial pathogens compared to wild-type controls, monitoring both MAPK activation and defense gene expression.

Hypothesis: This MAPK plays a role in defense signaling against pathogens in Cucumis melo.

Type: reverse genetics with pathogen challenge assay

Deep Research

Falcon

(A0A1S3BTE3-deep-research-falcon.md)
Comprehensive Research Report: Functional Annotation of LOC103492960 (A0A1S3BTE3) in Cucumis melo Falcon Edison Scientific Literature 23 citations 1 artifacts 2026-06-18T20:02:00.569854

The research report should be a detailed narrative explaining the function, biological processes, and localization of the gene product. Citations should be given for all claims.

You should prioritize authoritative reviews and primary scientific literature when conducting research. You can supplement
this with annotations you find in gene/protein databases, but these can be outdated or inaccurate.

We are specifically interested in the primary function of the gene - for enzymes, what reaction is catalyzed, and what is the substrate specificity? For transporters, what is the substrate? For structural proteins or adapters, what is the broader structural role? For signaling molecules, what is the role in the pathway.

We are interested in where in or outside the cell the gene product carries out its function.

We are also interested in the signaling or biochemical pathways in which the gene functions. We are less interested in broad pleiotropic effects, except where these elucidate the precise role.

Include evidence where possible. We are interested in both experimental evidence as well as inference from structure, evolution, or bioinformatic analysis. Precise studies should be prioritized over high-throughput, where available.

Comprehensive Research Report: Functional Annotation of LOC103492960 (A0A1S3BTE3) in Cucumis melo

Introduction and Verification of Identity

LOC103492960 in Cucumis melo (muskmelon), UniProt accession A0A1S3BTE3, is annotated as a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK; EC 2.7.11.24) in the CMGC serine/threonine kinase superfamily. Literature searches confirm this gene and protein description match the provided UniProt information, and no evidence was found for alternative or conflicting gene definitions in melon or other species (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 1-2, zhang2022mitogen‐activatedproteinkinase pages 2-2).

1. Key Concepts and Definitions

MAPKs are evolutionarily conserved protein kinases present in all eukaryotes. In plants, MAPKs transmit environmental, developmental, and immune signals through phosphorylation cascades—the canonical MAPK pathway consists of three sequentially-acting kinases: MAPK kinase kinase (MAPKKK) → MAPK kinase (MAPKK) → MAPK. MAPKs phosphorylate diverse substrates, primarily on serine/threonine residues in S/T-P motifs, mediating responses to stresses, hormones, and developmental cues (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 1-2, sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2, zhang2022mitogen‐activatedproteinkinase pages 2-2).

2. Recent Developments and Latest Research (2023–2024)

  • Recent transcriptomic research in melon found that the MAPK signaling pathway is one of the main pathways activated in response to salt stress, and is involved in salicylic acid-mediated mitigation of salinity effects during seed germination (yan2023transcriptomicanalysisof pages 1-2).
  • Review of Cucurbitaceae MAPK gene families in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) identified 14 MAPKs, with phylogenetic, expression, and stress response analyses. Though melon-specific MAPK data is limited, high homology and conserved roles are expected (wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 1-2, wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 2-4, wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 4-5).
  • In model plants, MAPKs are shown to be central regulators of biotic (pathogen) and abiotic (salt, drought, temperature) stress responses and have been repeatedly highlighted as key biological mediators in 2023–2024 reviews (jin2024emergingrolesof pages 1-2, sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2).

3. Current Applications and Real-World Implementations

Plant MAPKs, including those in melons and other crop species, are actively studied for their roles in improving stress tolerance (e.g., salinity, drought), disease resistance, and developmental regulation. Modulating MAPK pathway activity through genetic, chemical, or breeding strategies is a growing area in applied crop science aiming to enhance resilience and productivity (yan2023transcriptomicanalysisof pages 1-2, zhang2022mitogen‐activatedproteinkinase pages 2-2). In melon, MAPK pathway activation is associated with enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity under salt stress and mediates various hormone signaling cross-talk (yan2023transcriptomicanalysisof pages 1-2).

4. Expert Opinions and Analysis from Authoritative Sources

Experts agree that although gene-specific studies in melon are sparse, the high sequence conservation and domain architecture of MAPKs—confirmed for LOC103492960—allow for robust functional inference based on model species and Cucurbitaceae relatives (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 1-2, sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2, zhang2022mitogen‐activatedproteinkinase pages 2-2). Recent reviews also emphasize the need for functional studies in non-model crop species, highlighting current knowledge gaps and the opportunity for biotechnological applications (jin2024emergingrolesof pages 1-2).

5. Relevant Statistics and Data from Recent Studies

  • 14 MAPKs were identified at the genome level in cucumber, with similar gene numbers expected in melon (wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 1-2). Most cucumber MAPKs are predicted to localize to the cytoplasm and nucleus (wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 2-4).
  • Transcriptomic analyses detected upregulation of MAPK pathway genes among the most differentially expressed genes during melon seed germination under salt stress (yan2023transcriptomicanalysisof pages 1-2).

Detailed Narrative for Functional Annotation

Feature Summary for LOC103492960 (Cucumis melo; UniProt A0A1S3BTE3) Evidence basis
Protein classification and family Predicted mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) of the CMGC serine/threonine protein kinase superfamily; UniProt domain architecture is consistent with canonical plant MAPKs, including a protein kinase domain and MAPK signature features. In plants, MAPKs are core components of three-tier MAPKKK-MAPKK-MAPK signaling cascades. (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 1-2, sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2, zhang2022mitogen‐activatedproteinkinase pages 2-2)
Enzyme classification (EC number) EC 2.7.11.24, mitogen-activated protein kinase. Functionally, MAPKs are Ser/Thr protein kinases that transfer phosphate from ATP to hydroxyl groups of serine/threonine residues on protein substrates. (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 1-2, jin2024emergingrolesof pages 1-2)
Catalytic mechanism and reaction Canonical plant MAPK catalytic logic is: ATP + protein substrate -> ADP + phosphoprotein substrate. MAPKs are activated after upstream MAPKKs phosphorylate the Thr and Tyr residues in the conserved TXY activation-loop motif; activated MAPKs then phosphorylate downstream targets to alter activity, stability, localization, or transcriptional output. (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 1-2, sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2, zhang2022mitogen‐activatedproteinkinase pages 2-2, jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 2-4)
Substrate specificity Plant MAPKs are proline-directed Ser/Thr kinases, typically recognizing S/T-P phosphoacceptor motifs; substrate recognition is further shaped by MAPK docking interactions via a conserved common-docking site in the MAPK C-terminus and D-sites in partners. Known plant MAPK substrates include transcription factors, other protein kinases, enzymes, and structural/regulatory proteins. For LOC103492960 specifically, direct substrates have not been identified in the available literature, so specificity is inferred from conserved MAPK biology. (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 1-2, zhang2022mitogen‐activatedproteinkinase pages 2-2, xi2021phosphorylationsitemotifs pages 1-8)
Activation mechanism Likely activated in a conserved MAPK cascade: an upstream MAPKKK activates a MAPKK, which dual-phosphorylates the MAPK on the TXY motif. In plants, this usually occurs downstream of receptors/sensors responding to peptides, PAMPs/DAMPs, hormones, or abiotic stress signals. MAPK signaling specificity is influenced by combinatorial pathway use, docking interactions, and compartmentalization. (sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2, zhang2022mitogen‐activatedproteinkinase pages 2-2, sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 2-3)
Subcellular localization Most plant MAPKs function in the cytoplasm and nucleus, with activation-linked nuclear translocation enabling phosphorylation of transcription factors and reprogramming of gene expression. In cucumber, most MAPKs were predicted to localize to nucleus and/or cytoplasm, supporting a similar expectation for the melon protein; however, localization of LOC103492960 itself has not been experimentally reported in the retrieved evidence. (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 2-4, wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 2-4, wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 4-5)
Signaling pathways By homology to plant MAPKs, LOC103492960 is expected to participate in MAPK signaling modules that connect extracellular or intracellular cues to downstream responses. In plants these pathways include innate immunity/PTI, hormone signaling (ethylene, ABA, JA, SA), abiotic stress signaling (salt, cold, drought, heat, ROS), and developmental peptide-receptor pathways. In melon, transcriptome data under salt stress implicated MAPK signaling as a major responsive pathway. (sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2, jin2024emergingrolesof pages 1-2, yan2023transcriptomicanalysisof pages 1-2, jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 6-7, sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 2-3)
Biological processes Conserved plant MAPK functions include regulation of defense responses, stress acclimation, hormone crosstalk, transcriptional reprogramming, cytokinesis, stomatal development, organ development, and growth regulation. For melon specifically, available evidence links MAPK pathway activity to salt-stress responses during seed germination and salicylic-acid-mediated stress alleviation, but no study yet assigns a unique biological role to LOC103492960 itself. (sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2, yan2023transcriptomicanalysisof pages 1-2, jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 6-7, sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 2-3)

Table: This table summarizes the inferred molecular function, activation, localization, and pathway roles of the Cucumis melo MAPK LOC103492960 using direct UniProt identity information plus conserved evidence from plant and cucurbit MAPK literature. It is useful because gene-specific experimental literature is limited, so functional annotation must rely on well-supported family-level inference.

References & URLs

  1. Yan, M. et al., 2023. Transcriptomic Analysis of Salicylic Acid Promoting Seed Germination of Melon under Salt Stress. Horticulturae, 9(3): 375. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030375
  2. Wang, J. et al., 2015. Genome-wide identification of MAPK, MAPKK, and MAPKKK gene families and transcriptional profiling analysis during development and stress response in cucumber. BMC Genomics, 16(1): 386. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-1621-2
  3. Jin, J. et al., 2024. Emerging Roles of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathways in the Regulation of Fruit Ripening and Postharvest Quality. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 25(5): 2831. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052831
  4. Zhang, M. & Zhang, S., 2022. Mitogen‐activated protein kinase cascades in plant signaling. J. Integr. Plant Biol., 64: 301-341. https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.13215
  5. Jiang, M. et al., 2022. Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase and Substrate Identification in Plant Growth and Development. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 23(5): 2744. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23052744

Conclusion

LOC103492960 in Cucumis melo encodes a canonical MAPK (EC 2.7.11.24), an enzyme family central to plant signal transduction. While direct experimental evidence in melon is lacking, convergent bioinformatic, domain, and pathway-level evidence warrant strong inference that LOC103492960 participates in MAPK signaling cascades controlling responses to hormones, stress, and development in muskmelon. Its activation, substrate specificity, and likely subcellular distribution are consistent with those of other plant MAPKs.

References

  1. (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 1-2): Min Jiang, You-tao Zhang, Peng Li, Jinjing Jian, Changling Zhao, and Guosong Wen. Mitogen-activated protein kinase and substrate identification in plant growth and development. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23:2744, Mar 2022. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23052744, doi:10.3390/ijms23052744. This article has 67 citations.

  2. (zhang2022mitogen‐activatedproteinkinase pages 2-2): Mengmeng Zhang and Shuqun Zhang. Mitogen‐activated protein kinase cascades in plant signaling. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 64:301-341, Feb 2022. URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.13215, doi:10.1111/jipb.13215. This article has 586 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  3. (sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2): Tongjun Sun and Yuelin Zhang. Map kinase cascades in plant development and immune signaling. EMBO reports, Jan 2022. URL: https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202153817, doi:10.15252/embr.202153817. This article has 181 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.

  4. (yan2023transcriptomicanalysisof pages 1-2): Miao Yan, Jiancai Mao, Ting Wu, Tao Xiong, Quansheng Huang, Haibo Wu, and Guozhi Hu. Transcriptomic analysis of salicylic acid promoting seed germination of melon under salt stress. Horticulturae, 9:375, Mar 2023. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030375, doi:10.3390/horticulturae9030375. This article has 27 citations.

  5. (wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 1-2): Jie Wang, Changtian Pan, Yan Wang, Lei Ye, Jian Wu, Lifei Chen, Tao Zou, and Gang Lu. Genome-wide identification of mapk, mapkk, and mapkkk gene families and transcriptional profiling analysis during development and stress response in cucumber. BMC Genomics, May 2015. URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-1621-2, doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1621-2. This article has 202 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  6. (wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 2-4): Jie Wang, Changtian Pan, Yan Wang, Lei Ye, Jian Wu, Lifei Chen, Tao Zou, and Gang Lu. Genome-wide identification of mapk, mapkk, and mapkkk gene families and transcriptional profiling analysis during development and stress response in cucumber. BMC Genomics, May 2015. URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-1621-2, doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1621-2. This article has 202 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  7. (wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 4-5): Jie Wang, Changtian Pan, Yan Wang, Lei Ye, Jian Wu, Lifei Chen, Tao Zou, and Gang Lu. Genome-wide identification of mapk, mapkk, and mapkkk gene families and transcriptional profiling analysis during development and stress response in cucumber. BMC Genomics, May 2015. URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-1621-2, doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1621-2. This article has 202 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  8. (jin2024emergingrolesof pages 1-2): Juan Jin, Wei Wang, Dingyu Fan, Qing Hao, and Wensuo Jia. Emerging roles of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in the regulation of fruit ripening and postharvest quality. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25:2831, Feb 2024. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052831, doi:10.3390/ijms25052831. This article has 13 citations.

  9. (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 2-4): Min Jiang, You-tao Zhang, Peng Li, Jinjing Jian, Changling Zhao, and Guosong Wen. Mitogen-activated protein kinase and substrate identification in plant growth and development. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23:2744, Mar 2022. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23052744, doi:10.3390/ijms23052744. This article has 67 citations.

  10. (xi2021phosphorylationsitemotifs pages 1-8): Lin Xi, Zhaoxia Zhang, Sandra Herold, Sarah Kassem, Xu Na Wu, and Waltraud X. Schulze. Phosphorylation site motifs in plant protein kinases and their substrates. Methods in molecular biology, 2358:1-16, Jan 2021. URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1625-3_1, doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-1625-3_1. This article has 12 citations and is from a peer-reviewed journal.

  11. (sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 2-3): Tongjun Sun and Yuelin Zhang. Map kinase cascades in plant development and immune signaling. EMBO reports, Jan 2022. URL: https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202153817, doi:10.15252/embr.202153817. This article has 181 citations and is from a highest quality peer-reviewed journal.

  12. (jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 6-7): Min Jiang, You-tao Zhang, Peng Li, Jinjing Jian, Changling Zhao, and Guosong Wen. Mitogen-activated protein kinase and substrate identification in plant growth and development. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23:2744, Mar 2022. URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23052744, doi:10.3390/ijms23052744. This article has 67 citations.

Artifacts

Citations

  1. yan2023transcriptomicanalysisof pages 1-2
  2. jin2024emergingrolesof pages 1-2
  3. wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 1-2
  4. wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 2-4
  5. jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 1-2
  6. sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 1-2
  7. wang2015genomewideidentificationof pages 4-5
  8. jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 2-4
  9. xi2021phosphorylationsitemotifs pages 1-8
  10. sun2022mapkinasecascades pages 2-3
  11. jiang2022mitogenactivatedproteinkinase pages 6-7
  12. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030375
  13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-1621-2
  14. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052831
  15. https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.13215
  16. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23052744
  17. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23052744,
  18. https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.13215,
  19. https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202153817,
  20. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030375,
  21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-1621-2,
  22. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052831,
  23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1625-3_1,

📄 View Raw YAML

id: A0A1S3BTE3
gene_symbol: A0A1S3BTE3
product_type: PROTEIN
status: DRAFT
taxon:
  id: NCBITaxon:3656
  label: Cucumis melo
description: >-
  A0A1S3BTE3 encodes a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in Cucumis melo
  (muskmelon). The protein belongs to the CMGC kinase superfamily, MAP kinase
  subfamily, and contains a conserved protein kinase domain (residues 25-316) with
  a TDY dual-phosphorylation motif in its activation loop, classifying it as a
  Group D MAPK. MAPKs are serine/threonine kinases that function as terminal
  components of three-tiered phosphorylation cascades (MAPKKK-MAPKK-MAPK) and
  are activated by dual phosphorylation on the Thr and Tyr residues of the TXY
  motif by upstream MAPK kinases. In plants, MAPKs are central signal transducers
  that relay extracellular stimuli into intracellular responses, with established
  roles in biotic stress defense, abiotic stress tolerance, hormone signaling,
  and developmental regulation. The protein uses ATP as a phosphate donor to
  phosphorylate serine and threonine residues on downstream substrates (EC:2.7.11.24).
existing_annotations:
- term:
    id: GO:0000165
    label: MAPK cascade
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000108
  qualifier: involved_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      This annotation was inferred by logical inference from the MAP kinase activity
      annotation (GO:0004707). MAPKs are by definition components of MAPK cascades,
      functioning as the terminal kinase in the three-tiered MAPKKK-MAPKK-MAPK
      phosphorylation relay. The CDD domain assignment (STKc_TDY_MAPK) and membership
      in the MAP kinase subfamily confirm this protein is a bona fide MAPK cascade
      component.
    action: ACCEPT
    reason: >-
      Participation in the MAPK cascade is an inherent property of MAP kinases and
      is well supported by the domain architecture and subfamily classification.
    supported_by:
      - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
        supporting_text: "Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP kinase subfamily."
- term:
    id: GO:0000166
    label: nucleotide binding
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000104
  qualifier: enables
  review:
    summary: >-
      Nucleotide binding is technically correct for this kinase, as it binds ATP, but
      this is a very broad parent term. The more specific ATP binding term (GO:0005524)
      is already annotated and provides far more biological specificity. Kinases bind
      ATP specifically, not nucleotides in general.
    action: MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
    reason: >-
      The term is redundant with the more specific GO:0005524 (ATP binding) annotation
      and adds no biological information beyond what that term already conveys.
    supported_by:
      - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
        supporting_text: "ATP-binding"
- term:
    id: GO:0004707
    label: MAP kinase activity
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000120
  qualifier: enables
  review:
    summary: >-
      MAP kinase activity is the core molecular function of this protein. The UniProt
      entry assigns EC:2.7.11.24 (MAP kinase), and the protein is classified in the
      MAP kinase subfamily with the characteristic CDD domain STKc_TDY_MAPK. The
      catalytic activity annotations in UniProt describe phosphorylation of both
      serine and threonine residues on protein substrates using ATP, consistent with
      the dual-specificity serine/threonine kinase activity that defines MAPKs.
    action: ACCEPT
    reason: >-
      This is the most informative and specific molecular function term for this
      enzyme, matching the EC number, domain architecture, and subfamily classification.
    supported_by:
      - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
        supporting_text: "EC=2.7.11.24"
      - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
        supporting_text: "Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP kinase subfamily."
- term:
    id: GO:0005524
    label: ATP binding
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000120
  qualifier: enables
  review:
    summary: >-
      ATP binding is essential for kinase catalytic activity. The UniProt entry
      identifies a specific ATP-binding site at residue 54 within the protein kinase
      domain, and the protein carries the ATP-binding keyword. ATP serves as the
      phosphate donor in the phosphotransferase reaction catalyzed by this MAPK.
    action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
    reason: >-
      ATP binding is mechanistically required for kinase function but is not the
      distinguishing core function of the protein. MAP kinase activity (GO:0004707)
      already implies ATP use. Retaining as non-core since it describes a genuine
      molecular property.
    supported_by:
      - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
        supporting_text: "BINDING 54 /ligand=\"ATP\""
      - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
        supporting_text: "ATP-binding"
- term:
    id: GO:0007165
    label: signal transduction
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000117
  qualifier: involved_in
  review:
    summary: >-
      Signal transduction is a broad biological process term. While MAPKs are
      certainly signal transducers, the more specific MAPK cascade term (GO:0000165)
      is already annotated and provides a much more informative description of the
      signaling pathway this protein participates in. Signal transduction is a parent
      term of MAPK cascade.
    action: MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
    reason: >-
      The term is technically correct but redundant with the more specific GO:0000165
      (MAPK cascade) annotation. The broad signal transduction term adds no
      specificity beyond what the MAPK cascade annotation already provides.
    supported_by:
      - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
        supporting_text: "Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP kinase subfamily."
- term:
    id: GO:0106310
    label: protein serine kinase activity
  evidence_type: IEA
  original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000116
  qualifier: enables
  review:
    summary: >-
      This annotation was derived from the Rhea-mapped catalytic activity for
      serine phosphorylation (RHEA:17989). The UniProt entry explicitly describes
      catalysis of L-seryl-[protein] + ATP phosphorylation. While this is correct,
      the MAP kinase activity term (GO:0004707) is more specific and already captures
      the fact that MAPKs phosphorylate serine (and threonine) residues on substrates.
    action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
    reason: >-
      The serine kinase activity is a genuine molecular function of this enzyme,
      directly supported by the Rhea-curated catalytic reaction, but it is less
      informative than the MAP kinase activity term which already encompasses
      serine/threonine phosphorylation.
    supported_by:
      - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
        supporting_text: "L-seryl-[protein] + ATP = O-phospho-L-seryl-[protein] + ADP"
references:
- id: GO_REF:0000104
  title: Electronic Gene Ontology annotations created by transferring manual GO annotations
    between related proteins based on shared sequence features
  findings:
    - statement: Transfers the broad nucleotide binding term, which is redundant with the more specific ATP binding annotation.
- id: GO_REF:0000108
  title: Automatic assignment of GO terms using logical inference, based on on inter-ontology
    links
  findings:
    - statement: Correctly infers MAPK cascade involvement from the MAP kinase activity annotation via inter-ontology logical links.
- id: GO_REF:0000116
  title: Automatic Gene Ontology annotation based on Rhea mapping
  findings:
    - statement: Correctly maps the Rhea-curated serine phosphorylation reaction to protein serine kinase activity.
- id: GO_REF:0000117
  title: Electronic Gene Ontology annotations created by ARBA machine learning models
  findings:
    - statement: ARBA assigns the broad signal transduction term, which is redundant with the more specific MAPK cascade annotation.
- id: GO_REF:0000120
  title: Combined Automated Annotation using Multiple IEA Methods
  findings:
    - statement: Correctly recovers both MAP kinase activity and ATP binding from multiple IEA sources including InterPro and EC number mapping.
- id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
  title: UniProt entry A0A1S3BTE3
  findings:
    - statement: Identifies the protein as a mitogen-activated protein kinase with EC:2.7.11.24.
    - statement: Records catalytic activity for both serine and threonine phosphorylation using ATP.
    - statement: Classifies the protein in the CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family, MAP kinase subfamily.
    - statement: Identifies the CDD domain STKc_TDY_MAPK, indicating a Group D MAPK with TDY activation loop motif.
core_functions:
- description: >-
    A0A1S3BTE3 is a mitogen-activated protein kinase that catalyzes the transfer of
    phosphate from ATP to serine and threonine residues on downstream protein
    substrates (EC:2.7.11.24). It functions as the terminal kinase in three-tiered
    MAPK signaling cascades, relaying signals from upstream MAPK kinases to
    downstream effectors. The TDY activation loop motif classifies it as a Group D
    MAPK.
  molecular_function:
    id: GO:0004707
    label: MAP kinase activity
  directly_involved_in:
    - id: GO:0000165
      label: MAPK cascade
  supported_by:
    - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
      supporting_text: "EC=2.7.11.24"
    - reference_id: file:CUCME/A0A1S3BTE3/A0A1S3BTE3-uniprot.txt
      supporting_text: "Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. CMGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. MAP kinase subfamily."
suggested_questions:
  - question: Which specific MAPK cascade does this Group D MAPK participate in, and what upstream MAPKK activates it?
  - question: What are the downstream phosphorylation substrates of this MAPK in Cucumis melo, and which stress or developmental pathways do they mediate?
  - question: Is this MAPK orthologous to Arabidopsis MPK3, MPK4, or MPK6, and does it share similar roles in pathogen defense or abiotic stress signaling?
suggested_experiments:
  - hypothesis: This MAPK is activated by dual phosphorylation on its TDY motif by an upstream MAPKK during biotic or abiotic stress.
    description: Express and purify the recombinant protein and a candidate upstream MAPKK from melon, perform in vitro kinase assays to confirm phosphorylation of the TDY motif, and use phospho-specific antibodies to monitor activation in vivo under pathogen challenge or drought stress.
    experiment_type: in vitro kinase assay with phosphorylation-specific western blotting
  - hypothesis: This MAPK plays a role in defense signaling against pathogens in Cucumis melo.
    description: Generate VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing) knockdown lines in melon and assess susceptibility to fungal or bacterial pathogens compared to wild-type controls, monitoring both MAPK activation and defense gene expression.
    experiment_type: reverse genetics with pathogen challenge assay