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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)

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) can be activated in T-cells either by the combination of TCR and CD28 costimulation or by a variety of stress-related stimuli including UV light, H(2)O(2), and hyperosmolar sorbitol solutions. In T-lymphocytes, TCR/CD28 stimulation of JNK leads to induction of new gene expression via c-Jun, ATF-2, and Elk-1. Phosphorylation of c-Jun in CD4(+) T-cells stimulated by CD3/CD4/CD28 cross-linking declines with age, due to diminished activation of JNK. Here we show that the age-related decline in TCR/CD28 activation of JNK reflects two effects of age: the accumulation of memory cells (in which JNK stimulation is poor regardless of donor age) and age-dependent declines in JNK activation within the naive subset. Cyclosporin A inhibits induction of JNK function by TCR/CD28, PMA/ionomycin, ceramide, or H(2)O(2), but not induction by UV light or hyperosmolar sorbitol. Although aging impairs JNK induction by UV light, it has no effect on JNK activation by ceramide, H(2)O(2), or sorbitol. The data as a whole indicate that there are at least four pathways that activate JNK in CD4(+) T-cells, of which two are age-sensitive and two others unaffected by aging. Two of the pathways (UV and hyperosmolar sorbitol) are insensitive to cyclosporin inhibition. Finally, we show that the alterations in JNK function are not due to changes in the expression of MKK4, an upstream activator of JNK, and that another JNK kinase, MKK7, is not expressed in splenic T-cells.
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PMID:Age-sensitive and -insensitive pathways leading to JNK activation in mouse CD4(+) T-cells. 1060 25

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Important functional roles for MAPKs in postmitotic cells have recently been suggested. In the present study, we investigated the effect of aging on the brain ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) and p38 MAPK signaling pathways of Fischer 344 rats. The results show that basal tyrosine-phosphorylated ERK1/ERK2 in cortex of 24-month-old rats was reduced by 36%-59%, compared to 6- and 12-month-old rats (p<.05, 24- vs. 12- or 6-month-old rats). Similarly, the phosphotransferase activities of ERK and p38 MAPK, measured by in vitro immunocomplex kinase assays using myelin basic protein (MBP) as substrate, were shown to be reduced approximately 50% and 59% respectively, in the cerebrocortex of 24-month-old rats (p<.01, 24- vs. 12- or 6-month-old rats). The reductions in basal ERK and p38 MAPK activities are not due to altered protein levels of these kinases as assessed by Western analysis. Immunohistochemically, no age-related differences in ERK expression and cellular distribution were observed However, cytosolic ERK tended to aggregate in brain neurons of aged rats. In contrast brain tyrosine-phosphorylated PLCgamma1 did not change with age. Activation of ERK in response to EGF or PMA was also reduced in cortical brain slices of 24-month-old rats. These results demonstrate an age-associated selective impairment in the MAPK signaling pathways. Moreover, lifelong caloric restriction completely prevented the age-related decrease in basal brain ERK activity and diminished the age-related reduction of p38 MAPK activity. Taken together, these data indicate that ERK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways are impaired in the aged brain and that lifelong caloric restriction modulates these defects in brain intracellular signaling pathways.
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PMID:Age-associated impairment in brain MAPK signal pathways and the effect of caloric restriction in Fischer 344 rats. 1064 63

Monocytes-macrophages which serve as host immune cells to kill pathogens can often be "activated" after exposing to viruses, bacteria, cytokines as well as chemical substances, However, it is paradoxical that highly activated macrophages can be induced to become the suppressor ones by live microbes, microbial products, tumor, and autoimmune disease, although the mechanism remains unknown. Our previous experimental studies have shown that immuno-suppressor activities of suppressor macrophages on T, B and NK cells can be prevented by the treatment with LPS or supernatant in vitro from mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes, while, at the same time, the tumoricidal activities of those macrophages can be kept or even enhanced following the same treatment. This phenomenon was then termed as "immune modulation" For the understanding of its mechanism, we are now undertaking signal transduction in modulated macrophages. Since mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is an integration point of different signal transduction pathways, its cascade and regulation of activation are being investigated extensively by the assay of electrophoresis mobility shift. Recent results suggested that interaction of ligand-receptor triggers protein tyrosine kinase(PTK) activation leading to Ras-GTP binding with Raf-1 to phosphorylate MAPK kinase (MAPKK), the specific activator of MAPK. It is reported that PKC-alpha can directly phosphorylate or activate Raf-1 in NIH3 T3 cells. Raf-1 (74 KDa), with an intrinsic serine (Ser)-threonine (The) kinase activity, becomes hyperphosphorylated after activation which can be followed by gel mobility shift test. It has also been shown that a variety of extracellular factors stimulate a pair of MAPK p44 and MAPK p42 of MAPK family members. A significant property of activation of ERK 1 and ERK 2 is the requirement for the phosphorylation of both Thr-183 and Tyr-185 (at TEY motif) within in its protein kinase subdomain VIII. More recently, two other MAPK subtypes, p38 MAPK (mammalian equivalents of HOG1 in yeast) and JNK MAPK have been discovered. The requirement for activation of p38 MAPK for both Thr-180 and Tyr-182 (at TGY motif) has been shown. p38 MAPK is important in certain transcriptional regulatory pathways, since it can phosphorylate the following transcriptional factors: 1) Elk at Ser 383/389 for binding with SRE motif; 2). ATF 2 at Ser 69/71, forming a complex with Myc for DNA binding at CRE motif; 3) Max at Ser-62 to combine DNA of E-Box motif. p38 MAPK can be activated by LPS, inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF and IL-1, osmolarity. To examine the possibility that whether activation of Raf-1 and ERK 1, ERK2 and p38 MAPK can be regulated directly or/and differently by PKC and PKA pathways, herbimycin A (Ki = 0.9 mumol/L), a potent PTK inhibitor (J. Immunol. 155:3944-4003, 1995) at 2 mumol/L concentration was utilized to block Ras/Raf-1/MAPK cascade. After pre-incubation of macrophages with herbimycin A for 30 min or 90 min, cells were treated with LPS (10 micrograms/ml) and PMA (100 nmol/L) for 15 min. No inhibition of phosphorylation of Raf-1, MAPK p44 and MAPK p42 in response to LPS and PMA was observed (Fig. 1 and 3). However, forskolin, a cAMP inducer for protein kinase A (PKA) activation, inhibited the phosphorylation of LPS- and PMA-stimulated Raf-1, MAPK p44 and MAPK p42 (Fig. 2 and 4). Similarly, in agreement with a very recent report from David, M et al in NIH, in which they indicated that forskolin (30 mumol/L) inhibited IFN-beta-stimulated ERK activity by U 266 cells (J. Biol. Chem. 271: 4585-4588 1996), we found that the levels of phosphorylations of Raf-1 and ERK1 and ERK2 were declined when forskolin (30 mumol/L) was added to macrophages for 20 min at 37 degrees C prior to the stimulation by LPS and PMA. Interestingly, under the same condition, forskolin (30 mumol/L) stimulated the phosphorylation of LPS- and PMA-triggered p38 MAPK of murine peritoneal suppressor macrophages, suggesting that activatio
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PMID:[Studies on cell signaling immunomodulated murine peritoneal suppressor macrophages: LPS and PMA mediate the activation of RAF-1, MAPK p44 and MAPK p42 and p38 MAPK]. 1068 11

HePTP is a tyrosine specific protein phosphatase that is strongly expressed in activated T-cells. It was recently demonstrated that in transfected T-cells HePTP impairs TCR-mediated activation of the MAP-kinase family members ERK2 and p38 and it was suggested that both ERK and p38 MAP-kinases are substrates of HePTP. The HePTP gene has been mapped to human chromosome 1q32.1. Abnormalities in this region are frequently found in various hematopoietic malignancies. HePTP is highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia and its expression in fibroblasts resulted in transformation. To address a possible involvement of HePTP in hematopoietic malignancies we sought to identify HePTP substrate(s) in leukemic cells. Using substrate trapping mutants we have identified the MAP-kinase ERK2 as a specific target of HePTP in the myelogenous leukemia cell line K562. Tyrosine phosphorylated ERK2, but not ERK1, p38, or JNK1, efficiently bound to catalytically inactive HePTP mutants in which the active site cysteine (HePTP-C/S) or the conserved aspartic acid residue (HePTP-D/A) had been exchanged for serine and alanine, respectively. Moreover, the interaction of ERK2 with HePTP trapping mutants was dependent on ERK2 tyrosine phosphorylation, indicating that HePTP is specifically targeted to activated ERK2. Using a deletion mutant of HePTP (HePTP-dLD), in which 14 amino acid residues within the N-terminus are missing, we show that regions outside the catalytic domain are also required for the interaction. Furthermore, overexpression of HePTP in K562 cells and fibroblasts interfered with PMA or growth factor induced MAP-kinase activation and HePTP efficiently dephosphorylated active ERK2 on the tyrosine residue in the activation loop in vitro. Together, these data identify ERK2 as a specific and direct target of HePTP and are consistent with a model in which HePTP negatively regulates ERK2 activity as part of a feedback mechanism. Oncogene (2000) 19, 858 - 869.
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PMID:The MAP-kinase ERK2 is a specific substrate of the protein tyrosine phosphatase HePTP. 1070 94

Mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) are activated by a wide variety of signals leading to cell proliferation and differentiation in different cell types. With aging, there is a marked decrease in proliferation of T-lymphocytes in response to a variety of mitogens. Several age-related changes in the activation of MAPK pathways in T-lymphocytes activated via the T-cell receptor (TCR) have been described in different species. This way, some TCR proximal defects in tyrosine kinase activity have been delineated. In this study, we have used rat splenic lymphocytes to measure the effect of aging on the activation of two MAP kinase families: ERK and JNK. In order to bypass the receptor-proximal age-dependent defects previously described, we used phorbol ester (PMA) and Ca2+ ionophore (A23187) as co-mitogens. Our results demonstrate that splenic lymphocytes from old rats have a disturbance in the activation of the ERK and JNK MAPK signal transduction pathways, that are located downstream of the receptor-proximal events. At least part of the age-related defect leading to decreased ERK activity appears to be located upstream of ERK itself, since activation of MEK is also impaired. On the other hand, the observed defects in MAPK activation do result in decreased activation of downstream events, such as c-Jun phosphorylation. Thus, we conclude that aging of splenic lymphocytes results in a functional decline in signal transduction, and at least some of these defects are located downstream of the receptor-proximal events previously described by others. The impaired activity of these two MAP kinase pathways is likely to play a role in the diminished lymphoproliferation observed in old individuals.
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PMID:Impaired signal transduction in mitogen activated rat splenic lymphocytes during aging. 1070 57

One of the key molecules promoting angiogenesis is the endothelial cell-specific mitogen, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF or VEGF-A), which acts through two high-affinity receptor tyrosine kinases (VEGFR), VEGFR-1 (or Flt-1) and VEGFR-2 (or KDR/Flk-1). It was shown before that a soluble variant of VEGFR-1 (sVEGFR-1) can be generated by differential splicing of the flt-1 mRNA. This soluble receptor is an antagonist to VEGF action, reducing the level of free, active VEGF-A, and therefore, plays a pivotal role in the generation of vascular diseases like pre-eclampsia or intra-uterine growth retardation. Here we show that sVEGFR-1 is produced by cultured human microvascular and macrovascular endothelial cells and a human melanoma cell line. The soluble receptor is mainly complexed with ligands; only 5-10% remains detectable as free, uncomplexed receptor protein. Furthermore, we show the time course of total and free sVEGFR-1 release together with its putative ligands, VEGF-A and placenta growth factor (PIGF), from macrovascular endothelial cells. The release of sVEGFR-1 was quantitatively measured in two different ELISA types. The release of sVEGFR-1 was strongly enhanced by phorbol-ester (PMA); the cells produced up to 22 ng/ml of sVEGFR-1 after 48 hours. The expression of VEGF-A and PIGF was moderately influenced by PMA. We also show a hypoxia-induced increase of sVEGFR-1 expression in cells cultured from placenta, a tissue that has a high flt-1 gene expression. Moreover, we demonstrate that sVEGFR-1 in amniotic fluids acts as a sink for exogenous VEGF165 and PIGF-2. Here, for the first time, to what extent recombinant ligands have to be added to compensate for the sink function of amniotic fluids was analyzed. In conclusion, human endothelial cells produce high levels of sVEGFR-1, which influences the availability of VEGF-A or related ligands. Therefore, sVEGFR-1 may reduce the ligand binding to transmembrane receptors and interfere with their signal transduction.
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PMID:Release and complex formation of soluble VEGFR-1 from endothelial cells and biological fluids. 1078 Jun 61

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is an important mediator of immunoinflammatory responses in the brain. In the present study, we examined whether prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) production after IL-1beta stimulation is dependent upon activation of protein kinases in astroglial cells. Astrocyte cultures stimulated with IL-1beta or the phorbol ester, PMA significantly increased PGE(2) secretion. The stimulatory action of IL-1beta on PGE(2) production was totally abolished by NS-398, a specific inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase-2 activity, as well as by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, and the glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Furthermore, IL-1beta induced the expression of COX-2 mRNA. This occurred early at 2 h, with a maximum at 4 h and declined at 12 h. IL-1 beta treatment also induced the expression of COX-2 protein as determined by immunoblot analysis. In that case the expression of the protein remained high at least up to 12 h. Treatment of cells with protein kinase C inhibitors (H-7, bisindolylmaleimide and calphostin C) inhibited IL-1beta stimulation of PGE(2). In addition, PKC-depleted astrocyte cultures by overnight treatment with PMA no longer responded to PMA or IL-1. The ablation of the effects of PMA and IL-1beta on PGE(2) production, likely results from down-regulation of phorbol ester sensitive-PKC isoenzymes. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated the translocation of the conventional isoform cPKC-alpha from cytosol to membrane following treatment with IL-1beta. In addition, IL-1beta treatment led to activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and p38 subgroups of MAP kinases in astroglial cells. Interestingly, the inhibition of ERK kinase with PD 98059, as well as the inhibition of p38 MAPK with SB 203580, prevented IL-1beta-induced PGE(2) release. ERK1/2 activation by IL-1beta was sensitive to inhibition by the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide suggesting that ERK phosphorylation is a downstream signal of PKC activation. These results suggest key roles for PKC as well as for ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinase cascades in the biosynthesis of PGE(2), likely by regulating the induction of cyclo-oxygenase-2, in IL-1beta-stimulated astroglial cells.
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PMID:Induction of COX-2 and PGE(2) biosynthesis by IL-1beta is mediated by PKC and mitogen-activated protein kinases in murine astrocytes. 1096 82

Phosphorylation of p47 phagocyte oxidase, (p47(phox)), one of the NADPH oxidase components, is essential for the activation of this enzyme and for superoxide production. p47(phox) is phosphorylated on multiple serine residues, but the kinases involved in this process in vivo remain to be characterized. We examined the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in p47(phox) phosphorylation. Inhibition of ERK1/2 activation by PD98059, a specific inhibitor of ERK kinase 1/2, inhibited the fMLP-induced phosphorylation of p47(phox). However, PD98059 weakly affected PMA-induced p47(phox) phosphorylation, even though ERK1/2 activation was abrogated. This effect was confirmed using U0126, a second ERK kinase inhibitor. Unlike PD98059 and U0126, the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor SB203580 did not inhibit the phosphorylation of p47(phox) induced either by fMLP or by PMA. Two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping analysis showed that, in fMLP-induced p47(phox) phosphorylation, PD98059 affected the phosphorylation of all the major phosphopeptides, suggesting that ERK1/2 may regulate p47(phox) phosphorylation either directly or indirectly via other kinases. In PMA-induced p47(phox) phosphorylation, GF109203X, a protein kinase C inhibitor, strongly inhibits p47(phox) phosphorylation. However, in fMLP-induced p47(phox) phosphorylation, PD98059 and GF109203X partially inhibited the phosphorylation of p47(phox) when tested alone, and exerted additive inhibitory effects on p47(phox) phosphorylation when tested together. These results show for the first time that the ERK1/2 pathway participates in the phosphorylation of p47(phox). Furthermore, they strongly suggest that p47(phox) is targeted by several kinase cascades in intact neutrophils activated by fMLP and is therefore a converging point for ERK1/2 and protein kinase C.
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PMID:The mitogen-activated protein kinase extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway is involved in formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced p47phox phosphorylation in human neutrophils. 1104 57

Urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor, interacts with cells as a negative modulator of the invasive cells. Human ovarian cancer cell line, HRA, was treated with phorbol ester (PMA) to evaluate the effect on expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), since the action of uPA has been implicated in matrix degradation and cell motility. Preincubation of the cells with UTI reduced the ability of PMA to trigger the uPA expression at the gene level and at the protein level. UTI-induced down-regulation of PMA-stimulated uPA expression is irreversible and is independent of a cytotoxic effect. Down-regulation of uPA by UTI is mediated by its binding to the cells. We next asked whether the mechanism of inhibition of uPA expression by UTI was due to interference with the protein kinase C second messenger system. An assay for PKC activity demonstrated that UTI does not directly inhibit the catalytic activity of PKC and that PMA translocation of PKC from cytosol to membrane was inhibited by UTI, indicating that UTI inhibits the activation cascade of PKC. PMA could also activate a signaling pathway involving MEK1/ERK2/c-Jun-dependent uPA expression. When cells were preincubated with UTI, we could detect suppression of phosphorylation of these proteins. Like several types of PKC inhibitor, UTI inhibited PMA-stimulated invasiveness. We conclude that UTI markedly suppresses the cell motility possibly through negative regulation of PKC- and MEK/ERK/c-Jun-dependent mechanisms, and that these changes in behavior are correlated with a coordinated down-regulation of uPA which is likely to contribute to the cell invasion processes.
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PMID:Suppression of urokinase expression and invasiveness by urinary trypsin inhibitor is mediated through inhibition of protein kinase C- and MEK/ERK/c-Jun-dependent signaling pathways. 1105 91

We previously demonstrated that stimulation of human T-lymphocytes with calcium ionophores induced the phosphorylation and enzymatic activation of ERK2. We now report on the mechanism by which calcium-ionophore-induced activation of ERK1 and 2 occurs in these cells. The activation of ERK1 and 2 by increases in intracellular calcium was inhibited by calmidazolium suggesting the involvement of calmodulin in this response. To further elucidate the mechanism by which calcium-induced ERK activation occurs, we used the CaM-kinase inhibitor KN-93 and an inactive analog of KN-93 (KN-92). KN-93, but not KN-92, blocked ionomycin-induced activation of ERK1 and 2 in human T lymphocytes. We previously demonstrated that stimulation of T lymphocytes with ionomycin or A23187 resulted in a CaM-kinase-dependent shift in the mobility of p56(Lck). To determine if p56(Lck) was involved in calcium-induced ERK activation, we stimulated the p56(Lck) negative Jurkat cell derivatives, J.CaM1.6 and J.CaM1/Rep3, with ionomycin. In these p56(Lck) negative cell lines, activation of ERK1 and 2 in response to ionomycin was only minimally detected. When J.CaM1 cells were reconstituted with p56(Lck), ionomycin induced ERK1 and 2 activation. Treatment of Jurkat cells with PP2, an inhibitor of p56(Lck), inhibited calcium-induced, but not PMA-induced, ERK1 and 2 activation. Treatment of Jurkat cells with the MEK inhibitor PD98059 blocked ionomycin-induced ERK activation, but not the shift in the mobility of p56(Lck). Our data suggests that increases in intracellular calcium induce the activation of ERK1 and 2 in human T lymphocytes via sequential activation of CaM-kinase and phosphorylation of p56(Lck).
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PMID:Calcium-induced ERK activation in human T lymphocytes occurs via p56(Lck) and CaM-kinase. 1116 95


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