The phrase "a key activator" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that plays a crucial role in initiating or enhancing a process or action.
Example: "In the experiment, the enzyme acted as a key activator, significantly speeding up the chemical reaction."
Alternatives: "a crucial catalyst" or "an essential trigger".
Zhong et al. reported that Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a key activator of inflammation by priming NLRP3 activation, could restrain NLRP3 activation by regulating p62-dependent mitophagy, thus to prevent excessive tissue damage to the host.
GTP-bound active Rap is a key activator of integrin for promoting cell matrix adhesion (Gloerich and Bos, 2011).
HER3 serves as a key activator of downstream PI3K/AKT and MEK/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and contributes to survival of the most tumor cells.
MEK1 can activate the transcription factor ERK, a key activator of proliferation signals [ 39].
Free radicals have been shown to activate the ATM protein kinase [ 34], a key activator of p53.
PDK1 was first identified as a key activator of PKB, but was also found to mediate activation of other AGC kinases such as RSK and S6K1 (Biondi et al, 2000, 2001; Frodin et al, 2000, 2002).
According to Blanchard, one of the areas in which technical supervisors fail most often is in giving clear instructions--a key activator.
The receptor-associated tyrosine kinase Jak2 is a known key activator of Stat5a/b in prostate cancer cells in response to ligand stimulation.
or a loss of the key activator ARF (reviewed in Sherr).
In addition, recent evidence suggests that although Rheb has a well-described role as a key upstream activator of TORC1, it may not activate TORC2, and in fact may have an indirect inhibitory effect on TORC2 [50].
Substitutable pathways, considered permissive for a given biological response, induce a cascade of biochemical events that converge towards and mobilise key activator(s) of this response, compatible with a positive outcome.
