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Query: EC:2.7.10.1 (
ERK
)
95,504
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Thyroid papillary cancers (PTCs) are associated with activating mutations of genes coding for
RET
or
TRK
tyrosine kinase receptors, as well as of RAS genes. Activating mutations of
BRAF
were reported recently in most melanomas and a small proportion of colorectal tumors. Here we show that a somatic mutation of
BRAF
, V599E, is the most common genetic change in PTCs (28 of 78; 35.8%).
BRAF
(V599E) mutations were unique to PTCs, and not found in any of the other types of differentiated follicular neoplasms arising from the same cell type (0 of 46). Moreover, there was no overlap between PTC with
RET
/PTC,
BRAF
, or RAS mutations, which altogether were present in 66% of cases. The lack of concordance for these mutations was highly unlikely to be a chance occurrence. Because these signaling proteins function along the same pathway in thyroid cells, this represents a unique paradigm of human tumorigenesis through mutation of three signaling effectors lying in tandem.
...
PMID:High prevalence of BRAF mutations in thyroid cancer: genetic evidence for constitutive activation of the RET/PTC-RAS-BRAF signaling pathway in papillary thyroid carcinoma. 1267 Aug 89
Isoproterenol stimulates H-K-ATPase activity in rat cortical collecting duct beta-intercalated cells through a PKA-dependent pathway. This study aimed at determining the signaling pathway underlying this effect. H-K-ATPase activity was determined in microdissected collecting ducts preincubated with or without specific inhibitors or antibodies against intracellular signaling proteins. Transient cell membrane permeabilization with streptolysin-O allowed intracellular access to antibodies. Isoproterenol increased phosphorylation of
ERK
in a PKA-dependent manner, and inhibition of the
ERK
phosphorylation prevented the stimulation of H-K-ATPase. Antibodies against the monomeric G protein Ras or the kinase Raf-1 curtailed the stimulation of H-K-ATPase by isoproterenol, whereas antibodies against the related proteins Rap-1 and
B-Raf
had no effect. Pertussis toxin and inhibition of tyrosine kinases with genistein also curtailed isoproterenol-induced stimulation of H-K-ATPase. It is proposed that activation of PKA by isoproterenol induces the phosphorylation of beta-adrenergic receptors and the switch from G(s) to G(i) coupling. In turn, betagamma-subunits released from G(i) would activate a tyrosine kinase-Ras-Raf-1 pathway, leading to the activation of ERK1/2 and of H-K-ATPase.
...
PMID:Mechanism of activation of ERK and H-K-ATPase by isoproterenol in rat cortical collecting duct. 1267 35
The Raf/MEK/
ERK
kinase cascade is pivotal in transmitting signals from membrane receptors to transcription factors that control gene expression culminating in the regulation of cell cycle progression. This cascade can prevent cell death through ERK2 and p90(Rsk) activation and phosphorylation of apoptotic and cell cycle regulatory proteins. The PI3K/Akt kinase cascade also controls apoptosis and can phosphorylate many apoptotic and cell cycle regulatory proteins. These pathways are interwoven as Akt can phosphorylate Raf and result in its inactivation, and Raf can be required for the antiapoptotic effects of Akt. In this study, the effects of activated Raf (Raf-1, A-Raf and
B-Raf
) and PI3K/Akt proteins on abrogation of cytokine dependence in FL5.12 hematopoietic cells were examined. Activated Raf, PI3K or Akt expression, by themselves, did not readily relieve cytokine dependence. The presence of activated Raf and PI3K/Akt increased the isolation of factor-independent cells from 400- to 2500-fold depending upon the particular combination examined. The individual effects of activated Raf and Akt on proliferation, apoptosis and autocrine growth factor synthesis were further examined with hormone-inducible constructs (Delta Raf-1:AR and Delta Akt:ER*(Myr(+)). Activation of either Raf or Akt hindered cell death; however, both proliferation and maximal synthesis of autocrine cytokines were dependent upon activation of both signaling pathways. The effects of small molecular weight inhibitors on DNA synthesis and cytokine gene expression were also examined. The PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, inhibited growth and cytokine gene expression. This effect could be synergistically increased by addition of the MEK inhibitor UO126. These cells will be useful in elucidating the interactions between Raf/MEK/
ERK
and PI3K/Akt cascades in proliferation, apoptosis, and leukemogenesis, as well as evaluating the efficacy of signal transduction inhibitors that target these cascades.
...
PMID:Effects of the RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signal transduction pathways on the abrogation of cytokine-dependence and prevention of apoptosis in hematopoietic cells. 1271 25
The vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been shown to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation in many cell types. We previously reported that this neuropeptide inhibited proliferation in HT29 adenocarcinoma cells cultured in serum-containing medium. In addition, it has been demonstrated that VIP induced a potent stimulation of intracellular cAMP production in these cells cultured either in the absence or in the presence of serum. We also demonstrated that VIP induced phosphorylation of the small GTPase Rap1 in these cancerogenous cells. In the present study, the effects of VIP on the proliferation of HT29 cells cultured in the absence of growth factors and various concomitant signalling events were investigated. Under serum-free conditions VIP stimulates HT29 cell proliferation and induced a time- and concentration-dependent
ERK
activation. Furthermore, VIP induced the activation of the small GTPase Rap1 and of a 95 kDa isoform of the serine/threonine kinase
B-Raf
. Ras GTPase is also activated in VIP-stimulated cells. We hypothesize that VIP-induced proliferation in HT29 adenocarcinoma cells may involve a cAMP-Rap1/Ras-
B-Raf
-
ERK
signalling pathway.
...
PMID:Vasoactive intestinal peptide stimulates proliferation in HT29 human colonic adenocarcinoma cells: concomitant activation of Ras/Rap1-B-Raf-ERK signalling pathway. 1274 41
A recent report has shown that activating mutations in the
BRAF
gene are present in a large percentage of human malignant melanomas and in a proportion of colon cancers. The vast majority of these mutations represent a single nucleotide change of T-A at nucleotide 1796 resulting in a valine to glutamic acid change at residue 599 within the activation segment of
B-Raf
. This exciting new discovery is the first time that a direct association between any RAF gene and human cancer has been reported. Raf proteins are also indirectly associated with cancer as effectors of activated Ras proteins, oncogenic forms of which are present in approximately one-third of all human cancers.
BRAF
and RAS mutations are rarely both present in the same cancers but the cancer types with
BRAF
mutations are similar to those with RAS mutations. This has been taken as evidence that the inappropriate regulation of the downstream ERKs (the p42/p44 MAP kinases) is a major contributing factor in the development of these cancers. Recent studies in mice with targeted mutations of the raf genes have confirmed that
B-Raf
is a far stronger activator of ERKs than its better studied Raf-1 homologue, even in cell types in which the protein is barely expressed. The explanation for this lies in a number of key differences in the regulation of
B-Raf
and Raf-1 activity. Constitutive phosphorylation of serine 445 of
B-Raf
leads to this protein having a higher basal kinase activity than Raf-1. Phosphorylation of threonine 598 and serine 601 within the activation loop of
B-Raf
at the plasma membrane also regulates its activity. The V599E mutation is thought to mimic these phosphorylations, resulting in a protein with high activity, leading to constitutive
ERK
activation.
B-Raf
now provides a critical new target to which drugs for treating malignant melanoma can be developed and, with this in mind, it is now important to gain clear insight into the biochemical properties of this relatively little characterised protein.
...
PMID:Raf proteins and cancer: B-Raf is identified as a mutational target. 1278 69
T cells that receive stimulation through the T cell receptor (TCR) in the absence of costimulation become anergic and are refractory to subsequent costimulation. This unresponsiveness is associated with the constitutive activation of the small G protein, Rap1, and the lack of Ras-dependent activation of
ERK
. Recent studies suggest that Rap1 can activate the MAP kinase kinase kinase
B-Raf
that is either endogenously or ectopically expressed. Peripheral T cells generally do not express
B-Raf
; therefore, to test the hypothesis that ectopic expression of
B-Raf
could permit Rap1 to activate
ERK
signaling, we generated transgenic mice expressing
B-Raf
within peripheral T cells. This converted Rap1 into an activator of
ERK
, to enhance
ERK
activation and proliferation following TCR engagement in the absence of costimulation. When T cells were incubated with engineered APCs presenting antigen on I-Ek and expressing low levels of B7, they became anergic, displayed constitutive activation of Rap1, and were deficient in Ras and
ERK
activation. However, when incubated with the same APCs, T cells expressing the
B-Raf
transgene proliferated upon restimulation and displayed elevated
ERK
activation. Thus
B-Raf
expression and enhanced
ERK
activation is sufficient to prevent anergy in a model of APC-induced T cell anergy. However, studies using anti-TCR antibody-induced anergy showed that the ability of ERKs to reverse T cell anergy is dependent on the anergic model utilized.
...
PMID:Ectopic B-Raf expression enhances extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling in T cells and prevents antigen-presenting cell-induced anergy. 1285 97
The G protein-coupled sst2 somatostatin receptor is a critical negative regulator of cell proliferation. sstII prevents growth factor-induced cell proliferation through activation of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 leading to induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1. Here, we investigate the signaling molecules linking sst2 to p27Kip1. In Chinese hamster ovary-DG-44 cells stably expressing sst2 (CHO/sst2), the somatostatin analogue RC-160 transiently stimulates ERK2 activity and potentiates insulin-stimulated ERK2 activity. RC-160 also stimulates ERK2 activity in pancreatic acini isolated from normal mice, which endogenously express sst2, but has no effect in pancreatic acini derived from sst2 knock-out mice. RC-160-induced p27Kip1 up-regulation and inhibition of insulin-dependent cell proliferation are both prevented by pretreatment of CHO/sst2 cells with the MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98059. In addition, using dominant negative mutants, we show that sst2-mediated ERK2 stimulation is dependent on the pertussis toxin-sensitive Gi/o protein, the tyrosine kinase Src, both small G proteins Ras and Rap1, and the MEK kinase
B-Raf
but is independent of Raf-1. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and both tyrosine phosphatases, SHP-1 and SHP-2, are required upstream of Ras and Rap1. Taken together, our results identify a novel mechanism whereby a Gi/o protein-coupled receptor inhibits cell proliferation by stimulating
ERK
signaling via a SHP-1-SHP-2-PI3K/Ras-Rap1/
B-Raf
/MEK pathway.
...
PMID:sst2 Somatostatin receptor inhibits cell proliferation through Ras-, Rap1-, and B-Raf-dependent ERK2 activation. 1287 7
The RAF/MEK/
ERK
(MAPK) signal transduction cascade is an important mediator of a number of cellular fates including growth, proliferation and survival. The
BRAF
gene, one of the human isoforms of RAF, is activated by oncogenic RAS, leading to cooperative effects in cells responding to growth factor signals. This study was performed to elucidate a possible function of
BRAF
in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Mutations of
BRAF
and KRAS2 were evaluated in 89 HNSCC and corresponding normal mucosa by direct DNA sequencing analyses after microdissection. The results obtained were correlated with histopathological variables. Activating
BRAF
missense mutations were identified in 3/89 HNSCC (3%). KRAS2 mutations were found in five out of 89 (6%) HNSCC examined. There were no mutations of KRAS2 and
BRAF
in non-neoplastic mucosa. We failed to observe a correlation between
BRAF
or KRAS2 mutations and histopathological factors. Our data indicate that
BRAF
gene mutations are relatively rare events in HNSCC. Although uncommon,
BRAF
mutations may identify a subset of patients with HNSCC sensitive to targeted therapy.
...
PMID:Mutations of the BRAF gene in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. 1287 21
Rearrangement of RET proto-oncogene is the major event in the etiopathogenesis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). We report a high prevalence of
BRAF
(V599E) mutation in sporadic PTC and in PTC-derived cell lines. The
BRAF
(V599E) mutation was detected in 23 of 50 PTC (46%) and in three of four PTC-derived cell lines. The prevalence of the
BRAF
(V599E) mutation in PTC is the highest reported to date in human carcinomas, being only exceeded by melanoma. PTC with
RET
/PTC rearrangement as well as the TPC-1 cell line (the only one harboring
RET
/PTC rearrangement) did not show the
BRAF
(V599E) mutation.
BRAF
(V599E) mutation was not detected in any of 23 nodular goiters, 51 follicular adenomas and 18 follicular carcinomas. A distinct mutation in
BRAF
(codon K600E) was detected in a follicular adenoma. Activating mutations in RAS genes were detected in 15% of FA, 33% of FTC and 7% of PTC.
BRAF
(V599E) mutation did not coexist with alterations in any of the RAS genes in any of the tumors. These results suggest that
BRAF
(V599E) mutation is frequent in the etiopathogenesis of PTC. The
BRAF
(V599E) mutation appears to be an alternative event to
RET
/PTC rearrangement rather than to RAS mutations, which are rare in PTC.
BRAF
(V599E) may represent an alternative pathway to oncogenic MAPK activation in PTCs without
RET
/PTC activation.
...
PMID:BRAF mutations and RET/PTC rearrangements are alternative events in the etiopathogenesis of PTC. 1288 14
The RAS-RAF-MEK-
ERK
-MAP kinase pathway mediates the cellular response to extracellular signals that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Mutation of the RAS proto-oncogene occurs in various thyroid neoplasms such as papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs), follicular thyroid adenomas and carcinomas. A second genetic alteration frequently involved in PTC is
RET
/PTC rearrangements. Recent studies have shown that
BRAF
, which is a downstream signaling molecule of
RET
and RAS, is frequently mutated in melanomas. This study tests whether
BRAF
is also mutated in thyroid tumors and cell lines. We analyzed
BRAF
gene mutation at codon 599 in thyroid tumors using mutant-allele-specific PCR and in 10 thyroid tumor cell lines by DNA sequencing of the PCR-amplified exon 15. We found that
BRAF
was mutated in 8 of 10 thyroid tumor cell lines, including 2 of 2 papillary carcinoma cell lines, 4 of 5 anaplastic carcinoma cell lines, 1 of 2 follicular carcinoma cell lines, and 1 follicular adenoma cell line.
BRAF
mutation at codon 599 was detected in 21 of 56 PTC (38%) but not in 18 follicular adenomas and 6 goiters.
BRAF
mutation occurred in PTC at a significantly higher frequency in male patients than in female patients. To test whether
BRAF
mutation may cooperate with
RET
/PTC rearrangements in the oncogenesis of PTC, we tested whether
BRAF
-mutated PTCs were also positive for
RET
/PTC rearrangements. Immunohistochemical staining was conducted to evaluate
RET
/PTC rearrangements by using two different anti-
RET
antibodies. Surprisingly, we found that a large number of
BRAF
-mutated PTCs (8 of 21) also expressed
RET
, indicating that the RET proto-oncogene is rearranged in these
BRAF
-mutated PTCs. These observations suggest that mutated
BRAF
gene may cooperate with
RET
/PTC to induce the oncogenesis of PTC.
...
PMID:High prevalence of BRAF gene mutation in papillary thyroid carcinomas and thyroid tumor cell lines. 1290 32
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