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Compound
Pivot Concepts:
Gene/Protein
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Target Concepts:
Gene/Protein
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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)
Most biological effects of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), such as fibrinolysis, are mediated by its protease activity. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated that tPA also has several protease-independent effects such as: neuroprotection, microglial activation, and promoting LTP formation. In order to gain a better understanding of how tPA affects neurons, we examined neurite outgrowth and cell survival in low density cerebrocortical neuronal culture in the presence of tPA. tPA enhanced neurite elongation and neuronal survival. tPA protease inhibitors,
PAI-1
or PMSF, did not alter either effect. Consistent with neurotrophic effects, tPA activated Raf-K/
ERK
, PKC and PI3-K/Akt, 5-60 min after treatment. In addition, specific inhibitors of these kinases reduced tPA-induced neurite outgrowth. Interestingly, survival-promoting effect of tPA was attenuated only by PI3-K inhibitors. Activation of signaling kinases suggests that tPA activates an upstream membrane receptor. Thus far, three membrane proteins, low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP), mannose receptor (MR), and annexin-II (AII), have been identified to bind tPA. While inhibiting LRP or MR did not change tPA-induced neurite outgrowth and cell survival, inhibiting AII blocked neurotrophic effects of tPA. Taken together, our results indicate that tPA has novel, non-proteolytic neurotrophic effects on cultured cortical neurons, which are likely mediated by AII.
...
PMID:Non-proteolytic neurotrophic effects of tissue plasminogen activator on cultured mouse cerebrocortical neurons. 1749 40
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidant stress are important mediators of cardiovascular pathologies including atherosclerosis. One source of ROS in the vasculature is free heme released from hemoglobin. Because Egr-1, the regulator of cell proliferation and apoptosis, is also induced by oxidant stress and is likewise implicated in atherosclerosis, we examined the regulation of Egr-1 by heme in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Hemin increased Egr-1 expression (mRNA, protein) within 30 minutes and ERK-1/2 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation within 5 minutes. Inhibiting hemin-induced ERK-1/2 activation by U0126 (MAPK-inhibitor), the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine, the NADPH oxidase inhibitors apocynin and diphenyleneiodonium chloride, the superoxide scavenger tiron, or tricarbonyldichlororuthenium(II)-dimer (carbon-monoxide donor; CORM-2) blocked hemin-induced Egr-1 expression. Hemin activated
Elk
-1, SRF, and NF-kappaB and promoted their interaction with the Egr-1 promoter. Downregulating
Elk
-1 (via siRNA) or blocking NF-kappaB activation (via BAY-11-7082) abolished hemin induction of Egr-1. Finally, hemin-induced Egr-1 bound the promoters of tissue factor (TF), Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor (PAI)-1, and NGF-1A Binding (NAB)-2, upregulating their expression, and increased the biochemical activity of TF and
PAI-1
. Upregulation of Egr-1 and its target genes by heme-induced oxidant stress may be an important event in the initiation and progression of inflammatory vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis.
...
PMID:Hemin upregulates Egr-1 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells via reactive oxygen species ERK-1/2-Elk-1 and NF-kappaB. 1817 70
Although changes in gene expression are necessary for arterial remodeling during hypertension, the genes altered and their mechanisms of regulation remain uncertain. The goal of this study was to identify cerebral artery genes altered by hypertension and define signaling pathways important in their regulation. Intact cerebral arteries from Dahl salt-sensitive normotensive and hypertensive high-salt (HS) rats were examined by immunostaining, revealing an increased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and expression of the proliferative marker Ki-67 in arteries from hypertensive animals. Arterial RNA analyzed by microarray and validated with RT-quantitative PCR revealed that jun family member junB and matricellular genes
plasminogen activator inhibitor-1
(
PAI-1
) and osteopontin (OPN) were significantly overexpressed in HS arteries. Fisher exact test and annotation-based gene subsets showed that genes upregulated by Jun and Ca(2+)/cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) were overrepresented. A model of cultured rat cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells was used to test the hypothesis that angiotensin II (ANG II), JunB, and CREB are important in the regulation of genes identified in the rat hypertension model. ANG II induced a transient induction of junB and a delayed induction of
PAI-1
and OPN mRNA levels, which were reduced by
ERK
inhibition with U-0126. Silencing junB using small-interfering RNA reduced mRNA levels of OPN but not
PAI-1
. The silencing of CREB reduced
PAI-1
induction by ANG II but enhanced the transcription of OPN. Together, these results suggest that salt-induced hypertensive disease promotes changes in matricellular genes that are stimulated by ANG II, regulated by
ERK
, and selectively regulated by JunB and CREB.
...
PMID:Genes overexpressed in cerebral arteries following salt-induced hypertensive disease are regulated by angiotensin II, JunB, and CREB. 1815 95
TGF-beta1 and its target gene encoding
plasminogen activator inhibitor-1
(
PAI-1
) are major causative factors in the pathology of tissue fibrosis and vascular disease. The increasing complexity of TGF-beta1 action in the cardiovascular system requires analysis of specific TGF-beta1-initiated signaling events that impact
PAI-1
transcriptional regulation in a physiologically-relevant cell system. TGF-beta1-induced
PAI-1
expression in both primary cultures and in an established line (R22) of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) was completely blocked by inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity or adenoviral delivery of a kinase-dead EGFR(K721A) construct. TGF-beta1-stimulated
PAI-1
expression, moreover, was preceded by EGFR phosphorylation on Y845 (a src kinase target residue) and required pp60(c-src) activity. Infection of VSMC with an adenovirus encoding the EGFR(Y845F) mutant or transfection with a dominant-negative pp60(c-src) (DN-Src) expression vector effectively decreased TGF-beta1-stimulated, but not PDGF-induced,
PAI-1
expression implicating the pp60(c-src) phosphorylation site EGFR(Y845) in the inductive response. Consistent with these findings, TGF-beta1 failed to induce
PAI-1
synthesis in src kinase-deficient (SYF(-/-/-)) fibroblasts and reexpression of a wild-type pp60(c-src) construct in SYF(-/-/-) cells rescued the
PAI-1
response to TGF-beta1. TGF-beta1-induced EGFR activation, but not SMAD2 activation, moreover, was virtually undetectable in SYK(-/-/-) fibroblasts in comparison to wild type (SYK(+/+/+)) counterparts, confirming an upstream signaling role of src family kinases in EGFR(Y845) phosphorylation. Genetic EGFR deficiency or infection of VSMCs with EGFR(K721A) virtually ablated TGF-beta1-stimulated ERK1/2 activation as well as
PAI-1
expression but not SMAD2 phosphorylation. Transient transfection of a dominant-negative RhoA (DN-RhoA) expression construct or pretreatment of VSMC with C3 transferase (a Rho inhibitor) or Y-27632 (an inhibitor of p160ROCK, a downstream effector of Rho) also dramatically attenuated the TGF-beta1-initiated
PAI-1
inductive response. In contrast to EGFR pathway blockade, interference with Rho/ROCK signaling effectively inhibited TGF-betaR-mediated SMAD2 phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation. TGF-beta1-stimulated SMAD2 activation, moreover, was not sufficient to induce
PAI-1
expression in the absence of EGFR signaling both in VSMC and mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Thus, two distinct pathways involving the EGFR/pp60(c-src)/MEK-
ERK
pathway and Rho/ROCK-dependent SMAD2 activation are required for TGF-beta1-induced
PAI-1
expression in VSMC. The identification of such novel interactions between two TGF-beta1-activated signaling networks that specifically impact
PAI-1
transcription in VSMC may provide therapeutically-relevant targets to manage the pathophysiology of
PAI-1
-associated cardiovascular/fibrotic diseases.
...
PMID:TGF-beta1-induced plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells requires pp60(c-src)/EGFR(Y845) and Rho/ROCK signaling. 1825 94
Oxidative stress causes cardiomyocyte death and subsequent ventricular dysfunction and cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI), thus contributing to high mortality in chronic heart failure patients. We investigated the effects of kallistatin in cardiac remodeling in a chronic MI rat model and in primary cardiac cells. Human kallistatin gene was injected intramyocardially 20 min after ligation of the left coronary artery. At 4 weeks after MI, expression of human kallistatin in rat hearts was identified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and ELISA. Kallistatin administration improved cardiac performance, increased mean arterial pressure, decreased myocardial infarct size and restored left ventricular wall thickness. Kallistatin treatment significantly attenuated cardiomyocyte size and atrial natriuretic peptide expression. Kallistatin also reduced collagen accumulation, collagen fraction volume and expression of collagen types I and III, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and
plasminogen activator inhibitor-1
in the myocardium. Inhibition of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis by kallistatin was associated with increased cardiac nitric oxide (NO) levels and decreased superoxide formation, NADH oxidase activity and p22-phox expression. Moreover, in both primary cultured rat cardiomyocytes and myofibroblasts, recombinant kallistatin inhibited intracellular superoxide formation induced by H(2)O(2), and the antioxidant effect of kallistatin was abolished by Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), indicating a NO-mediated event. Kallistatin promoted survival of cardiomyocytes subjected to H(2)O(2) treatment, and inhibited H(2)O(2)-induced Akt and
ERK
phosphorylation, as well as NF-kappaB activation. Furthermore, kallistatin abrogated TGF-beta-induced collagen synthesis and secretion in cultured myofibroblasts. This is the first study to demonstrate that kallistatin improves cardiac performance and prevents post-MI-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through its antioxidant action.
...
PMID:Role of kallistatin in prevention of cardiac remodeling after chronic myocardial infarction. 1876 77
Increased inflammation, fibrinolytic factors, and lipoprotein(a) (LP[a]) were associated with increased cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes, whereas higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular mortality. Whether CRF is associated with inflammatory markers, fibrinolytic factors, and LP(a) in patients with type 2 diabetes was investigated. A total of 425 men with type 2 diabetes (mean age 55 +/- 8 years) who participated in a medical screening program were studied. CRF was measured using peak oxygen uptake with expired gas analysis during a symptom-limited exercise test. CRF inversely correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP; r = -0.27, p <0.05), white blood cell count (r = -0.13, p <0.05), fibrinogen (r = -0.28, p <0.05), LP(a) (r = -0.53, p <0.05), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen (r = -0.65, p <0.05), and
plasminogen activator inhibitor-1
activity (r = -0.17, p <0.05). Men in the highest tertile of CRF had significantly lower CRP, white blood cell count, fibrinogen, LP(a), and t-PA than men in the lowest tertile of CRF (all p <0.05). In separate multivariable linear regression models that adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, lipid profiles, glucose, and systolic blood pressure, CRP (beta = -0.23, p <0.05), white blood cell count (beta = -0.16, p <0.05), fibrinogen (beta = -0.24, p <0.05), LP(a) (beta = -0.28, p <0.05), and t-PA (beta = -0.69, p <0.05) were each inversely associated with CRF. Each
MET
increment higher peak oxygen uptake was associated with a lower odds ratio of having abnormal LP(a) (odds ratio 0.43, 95% confidence interval 0.20 to 0.91) in a multivariate logistic regression model. In conclusion, CRF was inversely associated with inflammatory markers, fibrinolytic factors, and LP(a) in men with type 2 diabetes.
...
PMID:Relation of cardiorespiratory fitness to inflammatory markers, fibrinolytic factors, and lipoprotein(a) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. 1877 91
In this study, we investigated the expression level of Ras-homologous (Rho) GTPases and the Rho guanine exchange factor (GEF) T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1 (Tiam1) in breast tumor specimens (n=106) by immunohistochemistry. Rho and Rho-GEF expression scores were compared to clinically established diagnostic and prognostic parameters. We found that RhoA and RhoB scores slightly increased with tumor grade, whereas the Rac1 score remained unaffected. The most significant effects were observed for the Rac1-specific GEF Tiam1. Tiam1 expression scores significantly decreased with the increase in tumor grade, tumor spreading and proliferation. Furthermore, Tiam1 expression was inversely related to the plasminogen activator inhibitor (
PAI-1
) and estrogen receptor (ER) expression but not the progesterone receptor (PR) and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). A low Tiam1 expression was associated with p53 positivity without being related to
HER2
/neu status. The data show that Tiam1 expression decreases with the progression of breast carcinomas and is inversely associated with several established breast tumor markers. Therefore, we suggest that Tiam1 counteracts the progression of breast carcinomas and is suitable as a novel breast tumor marker.
...
PMID:Progression of breast tumors is accompanied by a decrease in expression of the Rho guanine exchange factor Tiam1. 1908 65
Overexpression of
plasminogen activator inhibitor-1
(SERPINE1,
PAI-1
), the major physiological inhibitor of pericellular plasmin generation, is a significant causative factor in the progression of vascular disorders (e.g. arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, perivascular fibrosis) as well as a biomarker and a predictor of cardiovascular-disease associated mortality.
PAI-1
is a temporal/spatial regulator of pericellular proteolysis and ECM accumulation impacting, thereby, vascular remodeling, smooth muscle cell migration, proliferation and apoptosis. Within the specific context of TGF-beta1-initiated vascular fibrosis and neointima formation,
PAI-1
is a member of the most prominently expressed subset of TGF-beta1-induced transcripts. Recent findings implicate
EGFR
/pp60c-src-->MEK/ERK1/2 and Rho/ROCK-->SMAD2/3 signaling in TGF-beta1-stimulated
PAI-1
expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. The
EGFR
is a direct upstream regulator of MEK/ERK1/2 while Rho/ROCK modulate both the duration of SMAD2/3 phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation. E-box motifs (CACGTG) in the PE1/PE2 promoter regions of the human
PAI-1
gene, moreover, are platforms for a MAP kinase-directed USF subtype switch (USF-1-->USF-2) in response to growth factor addition suggesting that the
EGFR
-->MEK/
ERK
axis impacts
PAI-1
expression, at least partly, through USF-dependent transcriptional controls. This paper reviews recent data suggesting the essential cooperativity among the
EGFR
-->MAP kinase cascade, the Rho/ROCK pathway and SMADs in TGF-beta1-initiated
PAI-1
expression. The continued clarification of mechanistic controls on
PAI-1
transcription may lead to new targeted therapies and clinically-relevant options for the treatment of vascular diseases in which
PAI-1
dysregulation is a major underlying pathogenic feature.
...
PMID:Integration of non-SMAD and SMAD signaling in TGF-beta1-induced plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. 1913 20
PAI-1
is a multifunctional protein stimulated by infectious agents and its activation is mediated by inflammatory cytokines such as TNFalpha. Recent studies demonstrate that natriuretic peptides, particularly C-type (CNP), can affect
PAI-1
expression in bovine aortic smooth muscle cells and rat aortic endothelial cells. We have previously shown that CNP inhibits both basal and TNFalpha induced expression of
PAI-1
in human endothelial cells. Herein, we describe mechanism by which CNP modulates signaling engaged in controlling
PAI-1
expression in human endothelial cells. To examine which pathway initiated by TNFalpha is influenced, we tested kinase activity of MAP, PI3K/AKT and involvement of cGMP in endothelial cells exposed to CNP. CNP significantly increased cGMP level in endothelial cells. Its analogue, 8-Br-cGMP alone had no effect but significantly inhibited TNFalpha induced expression of
PAI-1
. Similarly, CNP and the inhibitors of ERK1/2 (PD098059) and PI3K (LY294002) attenuated
PAI-1
expression induced by TNFalpha. CNP almost abolished TNFalpha induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 but did not affect JNK phosphorylation, indicating that its effect on ERK1/2 was specific. These data suggest that CNP might function as the natural defense of vascular wall against cytokine induced
PAI-1
release through its ability to inactivate PI3K/AKT and MEK/
ERK
pathways.
...
PMID:Intracellular signaling pathways involved in inhibition of PAI-1 expression by CNP in endothelial cells. 1921 19
Colchicine and nocodazole, both established microtubule disruptors, are useful tools to investigate cytoskeletal-dependent signaling cascades and the associated downstream transcriptional targets. Since cytoskeletal events impact pathophysiologic consequences in the vascular system, the signaling requirements underlying colchicine-stimulated expression of
PAI-1
and CTGF, two prominent cell deformation-sensitive fibrosis-initiating proteins, were evaluated in vascular smooth muscle cells. Microtubule disruption rapidly induced
EGFR
transactivation (at the src kinase-sensitive
EGFR
(Y845) site) in a ROS-dependent manner. Genetic deficiency of
EGFR
, inhibition of
EGFR
signaling with AG1478 or introduction of a kinase-deficient
EGFR
construct effectively blocked colchicine-stimulated
PAI-1
and CTGF expression. MEK/
ERK
involvement downstream of ROS generation was critical for
PAI-1
, but not CTGF, expression following cytoskeletal perturbation suggesting bifurcation of signaling pathways downstream of
EGFR
activation. Colchicine also stimulated SMAD2/3 phosphorylation by a Rho/ROCK-dependent mechanism independent of TGF-beta1 release or receptor activity. Rho/ROCK signaling initiated by tubulin network collapse was required for both CTGF and
PAI-1
induction. Colchicine-initiated SMAD3 phosphorylation, however, was essential for
PAI-1
, but not CTGF, expression further highlighting divergence of signaling events downstream of Rho/ROCK that mediate microtubule deformation-associated changes in profibrotic gene transcription.
...
PMID:Differential requirement for MEK/ERK and SMAD signaling in PAI-1 and CTGF expression in response to microtubule disruption. 1924 54
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