Microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinase-like (MASTL; Greatwall)
is a well-characterized kinase, whose catalytic role has been
extensively studied in relation to cell-cycle acceleration. Importantly,
MASTL has been implicated to play a substantial role in cancer
progression and subsequent studies have shown that MASTL is a
significant regulator of the cellular actomyosin cytoskeleton. Several
kinases have non-catalytic properties, which are essential or even
sufficient for their functions. Likewise, MASTL functions have been
attributed both to kinase-dependent phosphorylation of downstream
substrates, but also to kinase-independent regulation of the actomyosin
contractile machinery. In this review, we aimed to highlight the
catalytic and non-catalytic roles of MASTL in proliferation, migration,
and invasion. Further, we discussed the implications of this dual role
for therapeutic design.