Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.10.1 (ERK)
95,504 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hepatocyte growth factor-scatter factor (HGF-SF ) mediates mito-, moto-, and morphogenic effects through the MET receptor, a membrane bound tyrosine kinase. HGF-SF/MET signaling is mitogenic for a large number of epithelial and endothelial cells and activates organ regeneration. HGF-SF transcripts have been detected in various myeloid cell lines. Therefore, the potential role of HGF-SF/MET signaling for circulating cells of the immune system, especially under conditions of inflammation, was evaluated. Several B-lymphoid and myeloid cell lines were found to express HGF-SF or c-met transcripts, while activity of both genes was mutually exclusive with the exception of low level coexpression in two B-cell lines. HGF-SF transcripts were present in low quantities in freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs). In contrast, c-met expression was not detected in freshly isolated cells from peripheral blood, but was induced in monocytes by activation of monocytic or T-cell function. HGF-SF incubation led to an increased c-fos steady state transcript level in myeloblastic K562 cells and moderately promoted cell viability of freshly isolated preactivated monocytes. c-met expression is thus established in activated monocytes, in particular under conditions resembling inflammation, making these cells accessible to functional effects of HGF-SF.
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PMID:Neoexpression of the c-met/hepatocyte growth factor-scatter factor receptor gene in activated monocytes. 937 55

The MET oncogene encodes the tyrosine kinase receptor for hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF), known to stimulate invasive growth of epithelial cells. MET is overexpressed in a significant percentage of human cancers and is amplified during the transition between primary tumors and metastasis. To investigate whether this oncogene is directly responsible for the acquisition of the metastatic phenotype, we exploited a single-hit oncogenic version of MET, able to transform and to confer invasive and metastatic properties to nontumorigenic cells, both in vitro and in nude mice. We mutagenized the signal transducer docking site of Met (Y1349VHVX3Y1356VNV), which has the uncommon property of binding and activating multiple src homology region 2 (SH2)-containing intracellular effectors. Notably, a point mutation (H1351 --> N) increased the transforming ability of the oncogene but abolished its metastatic potential. This mutation duplicates the Grb2 binding site, super-activating the Ras pathway and preventing the binding of the other intracellular transducers. Complementation in trans with another nonmetastatic mutant (N1358 --> H), recruiting all the transducers downstream to Met except Grb2, rescued the invasive-metastatic phenotype. It is concluded that the metastatic potential of the MET oncogene relies on the properties of its multifunctional docking site, and that a single point mutation affecting signal transduction can dissociate neoplastic transformation from metastasis.
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PMID:A point mutation in the MET oncogene abrogates metastasis without affecting transformation. 939 Nov 19

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a multifunctional factor that stimulates epithelial cell mitogenesis, motility, invasion, and morphogenesis. Its receptor is encoded by the MET proto-oncogene, a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase. Several studies have suggested a role for MET as a dominant oncogene in tumor development and progression. Conversely, MET is located at a region on chromosome 7q31 frequently deleted in carcinomas, suggesting that recessive mutations in MET may exist in certain cancers. To facilitate a search for mutations in MET, we have obtained the intron-exon structure of the human MET gene. We present the genomic structure of the first member of the Met receptor family to be characterized. Interestingly, MET contains a large second exon of 1214 nucleotides. We show that this exon, containing the AUG for the Met receptor, is frequently skipped in normal human tissues and cell lines, and corresponds to a ubiquitously expressed 7 kb Met transcript. This transcript yields no detectable protein product in vivo. Thus, unlike other genes, in which alternative splicing often gives rise to proteins with distinct activities, exon-skipping of MET exon 2 is predicted to decrease the abundance of a Met mRNA encoding a functional Met receptor.
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PMID:Intron-exon structure of the MET gene and cloning of an alternatively-spliced Met isoform reveals frequent exon-skipping of a single large internal exon. 948 74

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) treatment of the Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cell line causes scattering of cells grown in monolayer culture and the formation of branching tubules by cells grown in collagen gels. HGF/SF causes prolonged activation of both the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) and the phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI 3-kinase) target protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt; inhibition of either the MAP kinase pathway by the MAP kinase/ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 or the PI 3-kinase pathway by LY294002 blocks HGF/SF induction of scattering, although in morphologically distinct ways. Expression of constitutively activated PI 3-kinase, Ras, or R-Ras will cause scattering, but activated Raf will not, indicating that activation of the MAP kinase pathway is not sufficient for this response. Downstream of PI 3-kinase, activated PKB/Akt and Rac are both unable to induce scattering, implicating a novel pathway. Scattering induced by Ras or PI 3-kinase is sensitive to PD98059, as well as to LY294002, suggesting that basal MAP kinase activity is required, but not sufficient, for the scattering response. Induction of MDCK cell tubulogenesis in collagen gels by HGF/SF is inhibited by PD98059; expression of activated Ras and Raf causes disorganized growth in this system, but activated PI 3-kinase or R-Ras causes branching tubule formation similar to that seen with HGF/SF treatment. These data indicate that multiple signaling pathways acting downstream of Met and Ras are needed for these morphological effects; scattering is induced primarily by the PI 3-kinase pathway, which acts through effectors other than PKB/Akt or Rac and requires at least basal MAP kinase function. Elevated PI 3-kinase activity induces tubulogenesis, but total inhibition and excess activation of the MAP kinase pathway both oppose this effect.
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PMID:Phosphoinositide 3-kinase induces scattering and tubulogenesis in epithelial cells through a novel pathway. 966 53

The fate of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment is determined by two different interactions: 1) they adhere (via integrins) to both extracellular matrix molecules and BM stromal cells; and 2) stromal cells produce cytokines that influence their survival, proliferation, differentiation, and mobilization. The ligands for the protein tyrosine kinase receptors c-KIT and FLT3/FLK2, stem cell factor (SCF), and FL are produced by BM stromal cells and are known to affect several facets of hematopoiesis. We studied another protein tyrosine kinase receptor, c-MET, and its ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), also known as scatter factor (SF), which play a similar role in hematopoiesis. c-MET mRNA is expressed in immature human BM HPCs (CD34+CD33- or CD34+CD38-), but not in more mature HPCs (CD34+CD33+ or CD34+CD38+). The ligand HGF/SF is predominantly produced by BM stromal cells at both the mRNA and protein levels. We confirmed functionally that HGF/SF alone has no effect on proliferation of HPCs, but that when combined with granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or interleukin-3 it acts as a synergistic proliferative factor, although not as potently as kit-ligand or FLT-3/FLK-2 ligand. Furthermore, HGF/SF promotes adhesion of HPCs to immobilized fibronectin. HGF/SF-induced adhesion to fibronectin is probably caused by activation of the integrins alpha4beta1 and alpha5beta1, insofar as we were able to block this interaction by using monoclonal blocking antibodies directed against these integrin subunits. Addition of the tyrosine-phosphorylation inhibitor genistein inhibited HGF/SF-induced adhesion, supporting the idea that HGF/SF-induced effects are the result of signaling via the receptor c-MET after ligand binding. The enhanced adhesion of HGF/SF to fibronectin proved to be beneficial for the maintenance of the colony-forming potential of HPCs. HGF/SF alone and especially in combination with fibronectin prolongs survival of GM colony-forming cells in liquid culture. Our data indicate that HGF/SF is a polyfunctional cytokine in the BM microenvironment. It is produced by human BM stromal cells and directly or indirectly promotes proliferation, adhesion, and survival of human HPCs.
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PMID:Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is produced by human bone marrow stromal cells and promotes proliferation, adhesion and survival of human hematopoietic progenitor cells (CD34+). 969 10

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), also known as scatter factor (SF), is produced by mesenchymal cells, including bone marrow (BM) stromal cells, and has mitogenic and motogenic effects on a variety of cell types. Recently, a role has been assigned to HGF/SF and its receptor, c-MET, in both normal and malignant hemopoiesis. We investigated the function of HGF/SF on hemopoietic mononuclear cells (MNC) from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with circulating blasts. In contrast to results with normal MNC, HGF/SF alone stimulated the proliferation and colony formation of MNC from these patients. MNC from some (4/13) of the AML patients also produced HGF/SF (0.1-0.2 ng/ml/day), while we could not detect HGF/SF in cultures from normal MNC. Furthermore, it appeared that HGF/SF induced migration of leukemic cells in Boyden using KG1a cells as a model for leukemic blasts. The membranes dividing the two compartments of the Boyden chambers were coated with fibronectin. HGF/SF significantly promoted migration in 3/5 samples of MDS patients and in 5/7 samples of AML patients. Supernatant of human BM stromal cells, which is chemoattractive for normal human hemopoietic progenitor cells, also promoted migration of MNC from 4/5 MDS patients and 6/7 AML patients. Since HGF/SF is one of the growth factors produced by BM stromal cells, a neutralizing antibody directed against HGF/SF was added to the BM stroma supernatant, which reduced migration significantly in 2/3 MDS and in 3/6 AML responders to BM stroma supernatant. In conclusion, HGF/SF promotes proliferation and migration of hemopoietic cells from AML and MDS patients in vitro and may therefore contribute to the malignant potential of these cells.
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PMID:Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) affects proliferation and migration of myeloid leukemic cells. 969 73

The MET protooncogene encodes a transmembrane tyrosine kinase identified as the receptor of a polypeptide known as hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor. We performed PCR-based single-strand conformational polymorphism and sequencing analysis of the tyrosine kinase domain of the MET gene (exon 15-19) in 75 primary liver cancers. Three missense mutations were detected exclusively in 10 childhood hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), while no mutations were detected in 16 adult HCCs, 21 cholangiocarcinomas, or 28 hepatoblastomas. The extremely short incubation period from hepatitis B virus infection to the genesis of childhood HCC as compared with the adult HCC suggests that there may be an additional mechanism that accelerates the carcinogenesis of childhood HCC. Our results indicate that mutations of the tyrosine kinase domain of the MET gene may be involved in the acceleration of the carcinogenesis in childhood HCC.
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PMID:Somatic mutations in the kinase domain of the Met/hepatocyte growth factor receptor gene in childhood hepatocellular carcinomas. 992 37

The scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor regulates scattering and morphogenesis of epithelial cells through activation of the MET tyrosine kinase receptor. In particular, the noncatalytic C-terminal tail of MET contains two autophosphorylation tyrosine residues, which form a multisubstrate-binding site for several cytoplasmic effectors and are thought to be essential for signal transduction. We show here that a MET receptor mutated on the four C-terminal tyrosine residues, Y1311F, Y1347F, Y1354F, and Y1363F, can induce efficiently a transcriptional response and cell scattering, whereas it cannot induce cell morphogenesis. Although the mutated receptor had lost its ability to recruit and/or activate known signaling molecules, such as GRB2, SHC, GAB1, and PI3K, by using a sensitive association-kinase assay we found that the mutated receptor can still associate and phosphorylate a approximately 250-kDa protein. By further examining signal transduction mediated by the mutated MET receptor, we established that it can transmit efficient RAS signaling and that cell scattering by the mutated MET receptor could be inhibited by a pharmacological inhibitor of the MEK-ERK (MAP kinase kinase-extracellular signal-regulated kinase) pathway. We propose that signal transduction by autophosphorylation of the C-terminal tyrosine residues is not the sole mechanism by which the activated MET receptor can transmit RAS signaling and cell scattering.
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PMID:The multisubstrate docking site of the MET receptor is dispensable for MET-mediated RAS signaling and cell scattering. 1006 3

The mechanisms governing development of neural crest-derived melanocytes, and how alterations in these pathways lead to hypopigmentation disorders, are not completely understood. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) signaling through the tyrosine-kinase receptor, MET, is capable of promoting the proliferation, increasing the motility, and maintaining high tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis of melanocytes in vitro. In addition, transgenic mice that ubiquitously overexpress HGF/SF demonstrate hyperpigmentation in the skin and leptomenigenes and develop melanomas. To investigate whether HGF/ SF-MET signaling is involved in the development of neural crest-derived melanocytes, transgenic embryos, ubiquitously overexpressing HGF/SF, were analyzed. In HGF/SF transgenic embryos, the distribution of melanoblasts along the characteristic migratory pathway was not affected. However, additional ectopically localized melanoblasts were also observed in the dorsal root ganglia and neural tube, as early as 11.5 days post coitus (p.c.). We utilized an in vitro neural crest culture assay to further explore the role of HGF/SF-MET signaling in neural crest development. HGF/SF added to neural crest cultures increased melanoblast number, permitted differentiation into pigmented melanocytes, promoted melanoblast survival, and could replace mast-cell growth factor/Steel factor (MGF) in explant cultures. To examine whether HGF/SF-MET signaling is required for the proper development of melanocytes, embryos with a targeted Met null mutation (Met-/-) were analysed. In Met-/- embryos, melanoblast number and location were not overtly affected up to 14 days p.c. These results demonstrate that HGF/SF-MET signaling influences, but is not required for, the initial development of neural crest-derived melanocytes in vivo and in vitro.
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PMID:Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor-MET signaling in neural crest-derived melanocyte development. 1019 78

Met protein encoded by MET oncogene is the high affinity receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/scatter factor (SF). HGF/SF has to be cleaved in its heterodimeric form by the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) to become active as a ligand for Met receptor. The expression of Met protein and of the high affinity receptor for uPA (uPA-R) was investigated in 39 samples of papillary carcinoma using immunohistochemistry. Reactivity for Met protein was present in 33 of 34 tumours, mostly with a diffuse pattern of staining. Reactivity for uPA-R was present in 78 per cent of papillary tumours and exhibited a pattern of staining similar to that of Met protein. Staining for uPA-R was present in 23 of 25 cases (92 per cent) of papillary carcinoma with prominent sclerosis, and in only 1 of 7 cases (14 per cent) without sclerosis. Peritumoural normal thyroid, follicular adenomas, and follicular carcinomas were negative for Met protein and for uPA-R. Hyperfunctioning tall thyroid cells showed weak membrane reactivity for uPA-R and for Met protein. The findings of immunohistochemistry were confirmed at the mRNA level using in situ hybridization, since the signal for uPA-R and Met RNAs was detected in most tumour cells of five cases of papillary carcinoma.
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PMID:Expression of Met protein and urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPA-R) in papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. 1021 Nov 18


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