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Molecular and Cellular Biology, March 2009, p. 1554-1564, Vol. 29, No. 6
0270-7306/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/MCB.01421-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Elisa Cerutti,1
Marina Cella,1
Robert E. Lewis,2
Marco Colonna,1 and
Andrey S. Shaw1,3*
Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110,1 Department of Pathology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Eppley Cancer Institute, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-7696,2 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 631103
Received 10 September 2008/ Returned for modification 8 October 2008/ Accepted 19 December 2008
KSR1 is a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase scaffold that enhances the activation of the MAP kinase extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). The function of KSR1 in NK cell function is not known. Here we show that KSR1 is required for efficient NK-mediated cytolysis and polarization of cytolytic granules. Single-cell analysis showed that ERK is activated in an all-or-none fashion in both wild-type and KSR1-deficient cells. In the absence of KSR1, however, the efficiency of ERK activation is attenuated. Imaging studies showed that KSR1 is recruited to the immunological synapse during T-cell activation and that membrane recruitment of KSR1 is required for recruitment of active ERK to the synapse.
Published ahead of print on 12 January 2009.
Present address: Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, QBI Building 79, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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