ERK MAP kinase in G₁ cell cycle progression and cancer

The extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathway plays an important role in various cellular responses, including cell proliferation, cell differentiation and cell survival. Recent studies have identified a number of Ras/ERK signaling-related proteins, such as scaffold proteins and inhibitors. These proteins modulate ERK signaling and thereby could give variations in ERK signaling outputs that regulate cell fate decisions. Here we focus on the role of ERK signaling in cell cycle progression from G₀/G₁ to S phase and cancer.