MEF2 signaling and human diseases

// Xiao Chen 1, 2, * , Bing Gao 1, 3, * , Murugavel Ponnusamy 2 , Zhijuan Lin 2 and Jia Liu 1, 3 1 School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China 2 Institute for Translational Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China 3 School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jia Liu, email: dadaliujia@qdu.edu.cn Keywords: MEF2; human diseases; signaling pathway; microRNAs Received: February 17, 2017     Accepted: September 09, 2017     Published: December 04, 2017 ABSTRACT The members of myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 (MEF2) protein family was previously believed to function in the development of heart and muscle. Recent reports indicate that they are also closely associated with development and progression of many human diseases. Although their role in cancer biology is well established, the molecular mechanisms underlying their action is yet largely unknown. MEF2 family is closely associated with various signaling pathways, including Ca 2+ signaling, MAP kinase signaling, Wnt signaling, PI3K/Akt signaling, etc. microRNAs also contribute to regulate the activities of MEF2. In this review, we summarize the known molecular mechanism by which MEF2 family contribute to human diseases.