Abstract:

The dual-specificity MAP kinase phosphatases (MKPs) family plays a critical role in the dephosphorylation and inactivation of various MAP kinases in mammalian cells and tissues. MKPs not only provide a mechanism for spatiotemporal feedback control of these essential signalling pathways but also facilitate crosstalk between distinct MAP kinase pathways and other key signalling modules. The ten mammalian MKPs differ in their substrate specificity and subcellular localization. Several MKPs have been implicated in regulating MAPK signalling in T cells. However, studies utilizing genetic mouse models have yielded conflicting results regarding which MKP members contribute to this regulation. This prompted us to re-examine the role of MKPs in controlling MAPK signalling using a human T cell model. Our findings suggest that DUSP2 regulates early MAPK activation in these cells and may function as a part of a distal regulatory node in T cell signalling.

Bio:

I earned my PhD from the University of Tromsø (UiT), Norway in 1998 and subsequently moved to Dundee for a postdoctoral position in Professor Steve Keyse's lab. Upon returning to Tromsø, I established a small research group with support from a Career Development Grant awarded by the Norwegian Research Council. In 2010, I was promoted to Professor of Pharmacology in the Department of Pharmacy, UiT. My research has primarily focused on MAP kinase signalling, with a particular emphasis on the roles of the atypical MAP kinases ERK3 and ERK4. More recently, I have expanded my investigations to explore the functions of dual-specificity MAP kinase phosphatases. I have now returned to Dundee for a Sabbatical in Professor Gopal Sapkota´s lab.