Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.10.2 (focal adhesion kinase)
44,029 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The development of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs is a major obstacle to the successful treatment of breast cancer. Ways to block or overcome this resistance are objects of intense research. We have previously shown that cancer cells selected for resistance against chemotherapeutic drugs or isolated from metastatic tumor sites have high levels of a calcium-dependent protein crosslinking enzyme, tissue transglutaminase (TG2) but no direct link between TG2 and resistance was established. As TG2 can associate with the beta members of the integrin family of proteins, we hypothesized that TG2 promotes cell survival signaling pathways by activating integrins on the surface of these cells. To test this hypothesis, we studied the expression of TG2 and its interaction with various integrins in drug-resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cells. TG2 closely associated with beta1 and beta5 integrins on the surface of drug-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7/Dox and MCF-7/RT) cells. The incubation of TG2-expressing drug-resistant MCF-7 cells on fibronectin (Fn)-coated surfaces strongly activated focal adhesion kinase, an event that leads to the activation of several downstream signaling pathways and, in turn, can confer apoptosis-resistant phenotype to cancer cells. The role of TG2 in Fn-mediated cell attachment, cell growth, and cell survival functions was further analysed by small interfering RNA (siRNA) approach. Inhibition of TG2 by siRNA-inhibited Fn-mediated cell attachment and cell survival functions in drug-resistant MCF-7 cells. We conclude that the expression of TG2 in breast cancer cells contributes to the development of the drug-resistance phenotype by promoting interaction between integrins and Fn.
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PMID:Implications of increased tissue transglutaminase (TG2) expression in drug-resistant breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. 1644 78

P21WAF1/Cip1 (p21) translocates to the cytoplasm inducing cell cycle progression and survival upon Akt/PKB activation. We studied whether heregulin beta1 (HRGbeta1), that activates the PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways, also misallocates p21. We also explored whether HRGbeta1 interferes with the effects of tamoxifen. The clinical material studied helped us to clarify whether p21 was associated with phosphorylated Akt, recurrence-free survival and response to tamoxifen. MCF-7 cells treated with HRGbeta1 -/+ E2 were analyzed by flow cytometry to observe how the different compounds affected tamoxifen-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Total cell lysate and nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions were used to detect p21, phospho-Akt and other proteins by Western blotting. Immunofluorescence was used to visualize p21+ cells upon HRGbeta1 and E2 stimulation. The localization of p21 in breast cancer was studied by immunohistochemistry in frozen tumor sections from 280 patients. In MCF-7 we found that HRGbeta1 counteracted the inhibition of p21 expression by tamoxifen and caused p21 cytoplasmic accumulation. HRGbeta1 partially counteracted the cytostatic effect of tamoxifen but abrogated its cytotoxic effect. The clinical material revealed that nuclear p21 (P=0.022) and cytoplasmic p21 (P=0.00001) were associated with phospho-Akt. Based on p21 cell location, we identified 3 subgroups of ER+ patients: the p21N+/C- group for whom tamoxifen was needed otherwise the survival was poor (P=0.0082), the p21N+/C+ or p21N-/C- group, that responded to tamoxifen (P=0.034), and the p21C+/N- group, that might not benefit from this treatment (P=0.7). In conclusion, HRGbeta1 inhibits tamoxifen-induced apoptosis, contributes to p21 cytoplasmic expression while the cellular localization of p21 interacts with the benefit from tamoxifen treatment.
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PMID:Cytoplasmic p21WAF1/CIP1 correlates with Akt activation and poor response to tamoxifen in breast cancer. 1659 19

IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-3 is generally considered to have actions that counterbalance those of IGFs and is therefore being developed as a cancer treatment. In breast tumors, however, high levels are associated with aggressive tumors and poor prognosis. Consistent with this we have demonstrated that although IGFBP-3 and a non-IGF-binding fragment (serine phosphorylation domain peptide) reduced attachment and enhanced apoptosis of Hs578T breast cancer cells cultured on collagen or laminin, it promoted their attachment and survival on fibronectin, which is abundant in the matrix of aggressive tumors. We have now examined the factors that determine whether IGFBP-3 has positive or negative actions on breast epithelial cells. IGFBP-3 also promoted survival of Hs578T cells in the presence of an antibody to the beta1-integrin subunit or when cholesterol-stabilized complexes were disrupted. These actions were blocked by IGF-I or a MAPK inhibitor. Serine phosphorylation domain peptide had similar actions on MCF-7 cells that were again reversed on fibronectin or with disruption of cholesterol-stabilized complexes and blocked by the beta1-integrin antibody. In contrast, IGFBP-3 promoted growth and survival for nonmalignant MCF-10A cells, but these effects were again reversed on fibronectin and blocked by the beta1 antibody or a MAPK inhibitor or by disruption of cholesterol-stabilized complexes. On Hs578T cells, IGFBP-3 bound to caveolin-1 and beta1-integrins, enhancing their aggregation, the recruitment of focal adhesion kinase, and the activation of MAPK. In summary, with three breast epithelial cell lines, IGFBP-3 had positive or negative effects on growth and survival dependent upon the status of cholesterol-stabilized integrin receptor complexes.
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PMID:Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 has opposing actions on malignant and nonmalignant breast epithelial cells that are each reversible and dependent upon cholesterol-stabilized integrin receptor complexes. 1661 79

Myosin II activation is essential for stress fiber and focal adhesion formation, and is implicated in integrin-mediated signaling events. In this study we investigated the role of acto-myosin contractility, and its main regulators, i.e. myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and Rho-kinase (ROCK) in cell survival in normal and Ras-transformed MCF-10A epithelial cells. Treatment of cells with pharmacological inhibitors of MLCK (ML-7 and ML-9), or expression of dominant-negative MLCK, led to apoptosis in normal and transformed MCF-10A cells. By contrast, treatment of cells with a ROCK inhibitor (Y-27632) did not induce apoptosis in these cells. Apoptosis following inhibition of myosin II activation by MLCK is probably meditated through the death receptor pathway because expression of dominant-negative FADD blocked apoptosis. The apoptosis observed after MLCK inhibition is rescued by pre-treatment of cells with integrin-activating antibodies. In addition, this rescue of apoptosis is dependent on FAK activity, suggesting the participation of an integrin-dependent signaling pathway. These studies demonstrate a newly discovered role for MLCK in the generation of pro-survival signals in both untransformed and transformed epithelial cells and supports previous work suggesting distinct cellular roles for Rho-kinase- and MLCK-dependent regulation of myosin II.
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PMID:Myosin light chain kinase plays a role in the regulation of epithelial cell survival. 1672 33

A novel amidine analogue of melphalan (AB4) was compared to its parent drug, melphalan in respect to cytotoxicity, DNA and collagen biosynthesis in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. It was found that AB4 was more active inhibitor of DNA and collagen synthesis as well more cytotoxic agent than melphalan. The topoisomerase I/II inhibition assay indicated that AB4 is a potent catalytic inhibitor of topoisomerase II. Data from the ethidium displacement assay showed that AB4 intercalated into the minor-groove at AT sequences of DNA. The greater potency of AB4 to suppress collagen synthesis was found to be accompanied by a stronger inhibition of prolidase activity and expression compared to melphalan. The phenomenon was related to the inhibition of beta(1)-integrin and IGF-I receptor mediated signaling caused by AB4. The expression of beta(1)-integrin receptor, as well as Sos-1 and phosphorylated MAPK, ERK(1) and ERK(2) but not FAK, Shc, and Grb-2 was significantly decreased in cells incubated for 24h with 20 microM AB4 compared to the control, not treated cells, whereas in the same conditions melphalan did not evoke any changes in expression of all these signaling proteins, as shown by Western immunoblot analysis. These results indicate the amidine analogue of melphalan, AB4 represent multifunctional inhibitor of breast cancer cells growth and metabolism.
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PMID:Novel amidine analogue of melphalan as a specific multifunctional inhibitor of growth and metabolism of human breast cancer cells. 1673 Jun 67

Reports that the adhesion-associated molecule p130Cas/BCAR1 promotes resistance to tamoxifen suggested that adhesion-mediated signalling may be altered by tamoxifen treatment. We find that p130Cas/BCAR1 phosphorylation is enhanced in tamoxifen-treated estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The effects of estrogen and tamoxifen were assessed independently and in combination, and the results demonstrate that tamoxifen antagonizes estrogen regulation of p130Cas/BCAR1 phosphorylation. Phosphorylation correlates with tamoxifen ER antagonist effects, as phosphorylation effects are replicated by the pure antiestrogen ICI 182, 780. Correspondingly, phosphorylation is not changed in ER-negative cells exposed to tamoxifen. We show that deletion of the p130Cas/BCAR1 substrate domain substantially reduces tamoxifen-induced phosphorylation of p130Cas/BCAR1 and confers enhanced sensitivity to tamoxifen. P130Cas/BCAR1 forms a phosphorylation-dependent signalling complex with focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Src kinase that promotes adhesion-mediated cell survival. Therefore, we examined the kinetics of p130Cas/BCAR1, Src and FAK phosphorylation over a 14-day time course and find sustained phosphorylation of these molecules after 7 days exposure to tamoxifen. Inhibition of Src kinase is shown to reduce tamoxifen-promoted p130Cas/BCAR1 phosphorylation and reduce cell viability. Stimulation of the Src/FAK/p130Cas/BCAR1 adhesion signalling pathway in tamoxifen-treated MCF-7 cells does not cause increased migration; however, there is Src-dependent phosphorylation of the cell survival molecule Akt. Correspondingly, Akt inhibition reduces cell viability in cells treated with tamoxifen. We propose that prolonged activation of adhesion-dependent signalling may confer a survival advantage in response to additional cellular insults or alternatively, may poise cells to develop a migratory phenotype in response to additional cellular cues.
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PMID:Tamoxifen treatment promotes phosphorylation of the adhesion molecules, p130Cas/BCAR1, FAK and Src, via an adhesion-dependent pathway. 1679 44

The Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/PTEN/AKT signaling cascades play critical roles in the transmission of signals from growth factor receptors to regulate gene expression and prevent apoptosis. Components of these pathways are mutated or aberrantly expressed in human cancer (e.g., Ras, B-Raf, PI3K, PTEN, Akt). Also, mutations occur at genes encoding upstream receptors (e.g., EGFR and Flt-3) and chimeric chromosomal translocations (e.g., BCR-ABL) which transmit their signals through these cascades. These pathways interact with each other to regulate growth and in some cases tumorigenesis. For example, in some cells, PTEN mutation may contribute to suppression of the Raf/MEK/ERK cascade due to the ability of elevated activated Akt levels to phosphorylate and inactivate Raf-1. We have investigated the genetic structures and functional roles of these two signaling pathways in the malignant transformation and drug resistance of hematopoietic, breast and prostate cancer cells. Although both of these pathways are commonly thought to have anti-apoptotic and drug resistance effects on cells, they display different cell-lineage-specific effects. Induced Raf expression can abrogate the cytokine dependence of certain hematopoietic cell lines (FDC-P1 and TF-1), a trait associated with tumorigenesis. In contrast, expression of activated PI3K or Akt does not abrogate the cytokine dependence of these hematopoietic cell lines, but does have positive effects on cell survival. However, activated PI3K and Akt can synergize with activated Raf to abrogate the cytokine dependence of another hematopoietic cell line (FL5.12) which is not transformed by activated Raf expression by itself. Activated Raf and Akt also confer a drug-resistant phenotype to these cells. Raf is more associated with proliferation and the prevention of apoptosis while Akt is more associated with the long-term clonogenicity. In breast cancer cells, activated Raf conferred resistance to the chemotherapeutic drugs doxorubicin and paclitaxel. Raf induced the expression of the drug pump Mdr-1 (a.k.a., Pgp) and the Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic protein. Raf did not appear to induce drug resistance by altering p53/p21Cip-1 expression, whose expression is often linked to regulation of cell cycle progression and drug resistance. Deregulation of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway was associated with resistance to doxorubicin and 4-hydroxyl tamoxifen, a chemotherapeutic drug and estrogen receptor antagonist used in breast cancer therapy. In contrast to the drug-resistant breast cancer cells obtained after overexpression of activated Raf, cells expressing activated Akt displayed altered (decreased) levels of p53/p21Cip-1. Deregulated expression of the central phosphatase in the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway led to breast cancer drug resistance. Introduction of mutated forms of PTEN, which lacked lipid phosphatase activity, increased the resistance of the MCF-7 cells to doxorubicin, suggesting that these lipid phosphatase deficient PTEN mutants acted as dominant negative mutants to suppress wild-type PTEN activity. Finally, the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway appears to be more prominently involved in prostate cancer drug resistance than the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway. Some advanced prostate cancer cells express elevated levels of activated Akt which may suppress Raf activation. Introduction of activated forms of Akt increased the drug resistance of advanced prostate cancer cells. In contrast, introduction of activated forms of Raf did not increase the drug resistance of the prostate cancer cells. In contrast to the results observed in hematopoietic cells, Raf may normally promote differentiation in prostate cells which is suppressed in advanced prostate cancer due to increased expression of activated Akt arising from PTEN mutation. Thus in advanced prostate cancer it may be advantageous to induce Raf expression to promote differentiation, while in hematopoietic cancers it may be beneficial to inhibit Raf/MEK/ERK-induced proliferation. These signaling and anti-apoptotic pathways can have different effects on growth, prevention of apoptosis and induction of drug resistance in cells of various lineages which may be due to the expression of lineage-specific factors.
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PMID:Roles of the RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathways in malignant transformation and drug resistance. 1685 53

Tissue factor (TF) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that initiates blood coagulation when complexed with factor VIIa (FVIIa). TF is constitutively expressed in a variety of tumor cells and has been shown to play a role in cellular signaling and tumor progression. In this study, we investigated the effect of TF-FVIIa mediated signaling on apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. Apoptosis was induced by prolonged serum starvation and studied using the Adr-MCF-7 cell line, which has high endogenous TF expression. Treatment of the cells with the combination of FVIIa (10 nM) and FX (150 nM), reduced apoptosis by nearly 50% compared with untreated, control cells using an ELISA that detects histone-DNA fragments. In contrast, FVIIa (10 nM) alone did not significantly prevent apoptosis. Pretreatment of the Adr-MCF-7 cells with hirudin, a specific thrombin inhibitor, did not inhibit the anti-apoptotic effect of the combination of FVIIa and FX, whereas this effect could be abrogated by inhibition of phosphorylation of either p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) or protein kinase B (PKB/Akt). In addition, treatment of the Adr-MCF-7 cells with the combination of FVIIa and FX led to a 30-50% increase in the level of the anti-apoptotic protein, survivin, compared with untreated cells using Western blot analysis. These results indicate that formation of TF-FVIIa-FXa complex prevents apoptosis in breast cancer cells by a thrombin-independent pathway. Moreover, the anti-apoptotic effect of this signaling pathway involves phosphorylation of both p44/42 MAPK and PKB/Akt and might be mediated in part by an increase in cell survivin levels.
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PMID:Formation of tissue factor-factor VIIa-factor Xa complex prevents apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. 1689 64

Invasion is a complex process controlled by secretion and activation of proteases, alteration of integrin levels and GSL (glycosphingolipid) patterns. Differential organization of GSLs with specific membrane proteins and signal transducers in GEMs (GSL-enriched microdomains), initiates signalling events to modify cellular phenotype. Although the GSL monosialyl-Gb5 has been linked with invasion, its functional role in invasion is poorly described and understood. To investigate this problem, we induced the invasion of human breast cancer cells and subsequently explored the underlying mechanism. In the present study, the invasion of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells is highly dependent on clustering of monosialyl-Gb5, and the subsequent activation of monosialyl-Gb5-associated focal adhesion kinase and cSrc in GEM leading to the downstream activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK). As a result, we observed increased expression levels and activity of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9, which correlated with decreased expression of integrins alpha1 and beta1. Together these results suggest that the organization of crucial molecules in GEMs of MCF-7 cells is critical for their invasive properties.
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PMID:Clustering of monosialyl-Gb5 initiates downstream signalling events leading to invasion of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. 1699 38

Our aim was to study the effects of cucurbitacin glucosides extracted from Citrullus colocynthis leaves on human breast cancer cell growth. Leaves were extracted, resulting in the identification of cucurbitacin B/E glucosides. The cucurbitacin glucoside combination (1:1) inhibited growth of ER(+) MCF-7 and ER(-) MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines. Cell-cycle analysis showed that treatment with isolated cucurbitacin glucoside combination resulted in accumulation of cells at the G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle. Treated cells showed rapid reduction in the level of the key protein complex necessary to the regulation of G(2) exit and initiation of mitosis, namely the p34(CDC2)/cyclin B1 complex. cucurbitacin glucoside treatment also caused changes in the overall cell morphology from an elongated form to a round-shaped cell, which indicates that cucurbitacin treatment caused impairment of actin filament organization. This profound morphological change might also influence intracellular signaling by molecules such as PKB, resulting in inhibition in the transmission of survival signals. Reduction in PKB phosphorylation and inhibition of survivin, an anti-apoptosis family member, was observed. The treatment caused elevation in p-STAT3 and in p21(WAF), proven to be a STAT3 positive target in absence of survival signals. Cucurbitacin glucoside treatment also induced apoptosis, as measured by Annexin V/propidium iodide staining and by changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi) using a fluorescent dye, JC-1. We suggest that cucurbitacin glucosides exhibit pleiotropic effects on cells, causing both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. These results suggest that cucurbitacin glucosides might have therapeutic value against breast cancer cells.
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PMID:Growth inhibitory activity of cucurbitacin glucosides isolated from Citrullus colocynthis on human breast cancer cells. 1704 94


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