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 search for effective chemopreventive compounds is a major challenge facing research into preventing the progression of cancer cells. The naturally occurring polyphenol antioxidants look very promising, but their mechanism of action still remains poorly understood. Here, we show that 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanol (DPE), a phenol antioxidant derived from olive oil, induces growth arrest and apoptosis in human colon carcinoma HT-29 cells. The mechanisms involve prolonged stress of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) leading to the activation of the two main branches of the unfolded protein response (UPR), including the Ire1/XBP-1/GRP78/Bip and PERK/eIF2alpha arms. DPE treatment led to overexpression of the pro-apoptotic factor CHOP/GADD153 and persistent activation of the Jun-NH2-terminal kinase/activator protein-1 signaling pathway. DPE concomitantly modulated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and Akt/PKB pro-survival factors by altering their phosphorylation status as well as inhibiting tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced nuclear factor-kappaB activation by inactivating the phosphorylation of nuclear factor inhibitor-kappaB kinase. These findings prompted us to investigate the possible involvement of phosphatases in DPE-mediated action. Using phosphatase inhibitors and RNA interference to silence the Ser/Thr phosphatase 2A (PP2A) prevented DPE-induced cell death. These findings demonstrate that DPE specifically activates PP2A, which plays a key initiating role in various pathways that lead to apoptosis in colon cancer cells.
Carcinogenesis 2006 Sep
PMID:Dihydroxyphenylethanol induces apoptosis by activating serine/threonine protein phosphatase PP2A and promotes the endoplasmic reticulum stress response in human colon carcinoma cells. 1652 88

Cell motility is partially dependent on interactions between the integrins and the extracellular matrix. Our previous studies have identified synthetic D-amino acid cell adhesion peptides using a combinatorial screening approach. In this study, we demonstrate that HYD1 (kikmviswkg) completely blocks random haptotactic migration and inhibits invasion of prostate carcinoma cells on laminin-5. This effect is adhesion independent and reversible. The inhibition of migration by HYD1 involves a dramatic remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton resulting in increased stress fiber formation and actin colocalization with cortactin at the cell membrane. HYD1 interacts with alpha6beta1 (not alpha6beta4) and alpha3beta1 integrins and surprisingly elevates laminin-5-dependent intracellular signals including focal adhesion kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase. HYD1 does not contain a previously characterized binding sequence for integrins. A scrambled derivative of HYD1, called HYDS (wiksmkivkg), does not interact with the alpha6 or alpha3 integrin subunits and is not biologically active. Taken together, these results indicate that HYD1 is a biologically active integrin-targeting peptide that reversibly inhibits tumor cell migration on laminin-5 and uncouples phosphotyrosine signaling from cytoskeletal-dependent migration.
Carcinogenesis 2006 Sep
PMID:Synthetic D-amino acid peptide inhibits tumor cell motility on laminin-5. 1653 60

Increased visceral adipose tissue results in elevated plasma leptin, which are associated with increased risk of a number of obesity-related cancers. However, research is contradictory regarding the role of elevated plasma leptin in colon cancer risk. Having established that leptin induced proliferation in a murine model of preneoplastic (Apc(Min/+); IMCE) colon epithelial cells but not normal (Apc(+/+); YAMC) cells, we hypothesized that the leptin-associated IMCE cell proliferation was a result of autocrine interleukin-6 (IL-6) production and ensuing IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) signaling. Here we show, for the first time, that leptin induces elevated IL-6 production in IMCE cells but not in YAMC cells. IL-6 treatment induced cell proliferation in IMCE cells, but not in YAMC cells, in a concentration-dependent manner from 0.1 to 100 ng/ml (P < 0.05). Interleukin-6-induced IMCE cell proliferation was blocked by the addition of a neutralizing anti-IL-6R antibody. In addition, leptin-induced IMCE cell proliferation was blocked by the addition of an anti-IL-6R neutralizing antibody. Further, we elucidate a novel mechanism by which leptin activates TACE/ADAM17-associated IL-6R shedding and trans-IL-6 signaling in IMCE by induction of IL-6 production. IL-6 treatment of IMCE cells was associated with STAT3, ERK, p38, MEK and JAK2 activation and associated STAT3 nuclear activation and translocation. These data implicate leptin-induced IL-6 production, signaling and subsequent STAT3 activation as early events promoting the survival/proliferation of colon epithelial preneoplastic cells. The elucidation of the leptin-initiated mechanism of preneoplastic cell proliferation establishes a biologically plausible link between the adipocyte-specific cytokine leptin and obesity-associated colon cancer.
Carcinogenesis 2006 Jul
PMID:Interleukin-6 production induced by leptin treatment promotes cell proliferation in an Apc (Min/+) colon epithelial cell line. 1659 43

Heparanase is a mammalian endo-beta-D-glucuronidase that cleaves heparan sulfate side chains at a limited number of sites. Such enzymatic activity is thought to participate in degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix and to facilitate cell invasion associated with tumor metastasis, angiogenesis and inflammation. Traditionally, heparanase activity was well correlated with the metastatic potential of a large number of tumor-derived cell types. More recently, heparanase upregulation has been documented in an increasing number of primary human tumors, correlating with poor postoperative survival and increased tumor vascularity. Here, we employed anti-heparanase 733 polyclonal antibody that preferentially recognizes the 50 kDa active heparanase subunit over the 65 kDa proenzyme, as well as anti-heparanase 92.4 monoclonal antibody that recognizes both the latent and the active enzyme, to follow heparanase expression, processing and localization throughout the adenoma-carcinoma transition of the colon epithelium. Normal (nondysplastic) mucosa of the large bowel near epithelial neoplasms, as well as areas of mild dysplasia in adenomas, exhibited a strong reactivity with antibody 733 that became even stronger in foci of moderate dysplasia. Interestingly, although reactivity with antibody 733 was markedly reduced in severe dysplasia and in colorectal carcinoma, response to antibody 92.4 exhibited the opposite trend and staining intensities increased in parallel with tumor stage, the highest being in carcinoma cells. Involvement of latent heparanase (detected by 92.4, but not by 733 antibody) in tumor progression was suggested by activation of the Akt/PKB signal transduction pathway upon heparanase overexpression or exogenous addition to HT29 human colon carcinoma cells. These results suggest that heparanase expression is induced during colon carcinogenesis, and that its processing, conformation and localization are tightly regulated during the course of colon adenoma-carcinoma progression.
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PMID:Spatial and temporal heparanase expression in colon mucosa throughout the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. 1660 75

Activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and/or its family member(s) stimulates many processes of carcinogenesis, including cell invasion and the formation of new blood vessels, events that are critically involved in angiogenesis. Interference with the activation of EGFRs, therefore, represents a promising strategy for the development of novel and selective anticancer therapies. Previously, we reported that EGFR-related protein (ERRP), which we have isolated and characterized as a pan-erbB inhibitor, is a potential therapeutic agent for colorectal and other epithelial cancers. The present investigation was undertaken to determine whether ERRP would affect the invasion of colon cancer cells and formation of tubules, and the regulation of these processes. ERRP inhibited tubule formation by aortic endothelial cells and invasion of HCT-116 colon cancer cells through matrigel. These changes were associated with marked reductions in the synthesis and secretion of bFGF, VEGF and TGF-alpha by HCT-116 cells. Secretion of bFGF and VEGF by aortic endothelial cells was also inhibited by ERRP. Microarray analysis of ERRP-treated HCT-116 cells showed reduced levels of several growth regulatory proteins such as p21Rac1, Stratifin (14-3-3 Sigma), focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and mediators of the Ras-Raf-ERK pathway. ERRP treatments resulted in reduced expression of p21Rac1 and inhibited the constitutive activation of FAK and MEK2 in HCT-116 cells. Transfection of constitutively activate p21Rac1 or MEK2 into HCT-116 cells abrogated ERRP-induced inhibition of growth. In summary, it was demonstrated that ERRP not only inhibits cell growth, but also the processes of cell invasion and blood vessel formation that are critical for the development and progression of carcinogenesis.
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PMID:EGF receptor-related protein (ERRP) inhibits invasion of colon cancer cells and tubule formation by endothelial cells in vitro. 1661 3

Different mutant amino acids in the Ras proteins lead to distinct transforming capacities and different aggressiveness in human tumors. K-Ras Asp12 (K12D) is more prevalent in benign than in malignant human colorectal tumors, whereas K-Ras Val12 (K12V) associates with more advanced and metastatic carcinomas, higher recurrence and decreased survival. Here, we tested, in a nude mouse xenograft model, whether different human K-Ras oncogenes mutated at codon 12 to Val, Asp or Cys would confer NIH3T3 fibroblasts distinct oncogenic phenotypes. We studied tumor histology and growth, apoptotic and mitotic rates, activation of signal transduction pathways downstream of Ras and regulation of the cell cycle and apoptotic proteins in tumors derived from the implanted transformants. We found that the K12V oncogene induces a more aggressive tumorigenic phenotype than the K12D oncogene, whereas K12C does not induce tumors in this model. Thus, K12V mutant tumors proliferate about seven times faster, and have higher cellularity and mitotic rates than the K12D mutant tumors. A molecular analysis of the induced tumors shows that the K12V mutant protein interacts with Raf-1 and transduces signals mainly through the Erk pathway. Unexpectedly, in tumors induced by the K12D oncogene, the K-Ras mutant protein does not interact with Raf-1 nor activates the Erk canonical pathway. Instead, it transduces signals through the PI3K/Akt, JNK, p38 and FAK pathways. Finally, the higher growth rate of the K12V tumors associates with enhanced Rb phosphorylation, and PCNA and cyclin B upregulation, consistent with faster G1/S and G2/M transitions, without alteration of apoptotic regulation.
Carcinogenesis 2006 Nov
PMID:K-ras Asp12 mutant neither interacts with Raf, nor signals through Erk and is less tumorigenic than K-ras Val12. 1667 5

The aim of this study was to identify amplified oncogenes in endometrial cancer using array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH). Despite its prevalence, the molecular mechanisms of endometrial carcinogenesis are still poorly understood. The selected array CGH allows the simultaneous examination of 58 oncogenes commonly amplified in human cancers and is capable of achieving increased mapping resolution compared with conventional CGH. A subset of 8 specimens from a bank of 60 malignant and normal specimens was selected for array analysis to identify potential genes of interest. TaqMan polymerase chain reaction was carried out on the 60 specimens to examine if aberrations at the genomic level correlated with gene expression and to compare expression in normal and malignant samples. Oncogenes amplified in the endometrial cancers included AR, PIK3CA, MET, HRAS, NRAS, D17S1670, FGFR1, CTSB, RPS6KB1, LAMC2, MYC, PDGFRA, FGF4/FGF3, PAKI, and FGR. Three genes were examined at the messenger RNA level. AR and PIK3CA were higher in normal specimens, and MET was higher in malignant samples, suggesting a role for MET in endometrial cancer. Newer arrays examining more genes and larger sample numbers are necessary to elucidate the carcinogenic pathway in endometrial cancer.
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PMID:Genome-wide analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid in endometrial cancer using comparative genomic hybridization microarrays. 1668 70

Ultraviolet A (UVA, 315-400 nm), constituting about 95% of ultraviolet irradiation in natural sunlight, represents a major environmental challenge to the skin and is clearly associated with human skin cancer. It has proven difficult to show direct actions of UVA as a carcinogen in human cells. Here, we demonstrate that chronic UVA exposures at environmentally relevant doses in vitro can induce malignant transformation of human keratinocytes associated with acquired apoptotic resistance. As evidence of carcinogenic transformation, UVA-long-treated (24 J/cm(2) once/week for 18 weeks) HaCaT (ULTH) cells showed increased secretion of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9), overexpression of keratin 13, altered morphology and anchorage-independent growth. Malignant transformation was established by the production of aggressive squamous cell carcinomas after inoculation of ULTH cells into nude mice (NC(r)-nu). ULTH cells were resistant to apoptosis induced not only by UVA but also by UVB and arsenite, two other human skin carcinogens. ULTH cells also became resistant to apoptosis induced by etoposide, staurosporine and doxorubicin hydrochloride. Elevated phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB, also called AKT) and reduced expression of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) were detected in ULTH cells. The resistance of ULTH cells to UVA-induced apoptosis was reversed by either inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) or adenovirus expression of PTEN or dominant negative AKT. These data indicate that UVA has carcinogenic potential in human keratinocytes and that the increased AKT signaling and decreased PTEN expression may contribute to this malignant transformation. Further comparisons between the transformed ULTH and control cells should lead to a better understanding of the mechanism of UVA carcinogenesis and may help identify biomarkers for UVA-induced skin malignancies.
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PMID:Chronic UVA irradiation of human HaCaT keratinocytes induces malignant transformation associated with acquired apoptotic resistance. 1668 58

p14ARF is a tumor suppressor that controls a well-described p53/Mdm2-dependent checkpoint in response to oncogenic signals. Here, new insights into the tumor-suppressive function of p14ARF are provided. We previously showed that p14ARF can induce a p53-independent G2 cell cycle arrest. In this study, we demonstrate that the activation of ATM/ATR/CHK signaling pathways contributes to this G2 checkpoint and highlight the interrelated roles of p14ARF and the Tip60 protein in the initiation of this DNA damage-signaling cascade. We show that Tip60 is a new direct p14ARF binding partner and that its expression is upregulated and required for ATM/CHK2 activation in response to p14ARF. Strikingly, both p14ARF and Tip60 products accumulate following a cell treatment with alkylating agents and are absolutely required for ATM/CHK2 activation in this setting. Moreover, and consistent with p14ARF being a determinant of CHK2 phosphorylation in lung carcinogenesis, a strong correlation between p14ARF and phospho-CHK2 (Thr68) protein expression is observed in human lung tumors (P < 0.00006). Overall, these data point to a novel regulatory pathway that mediates the p53-independent negative-cell-growth control of p14ARF. Inactivation of this pathway is likely to contribute to lung carcinogenesis.
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PMID:p14ARF activates a Tip60-dependent and p53-independent ATM/ATR/CHK pathway in response to genotoxic stress. 1670 83

Environmental factors, including dietary fats, are implicated in colonic carcinogenesis. Dietary fats modulate secondary bile acids including deoxycholic acid (DCA) concentrations in the colon, which are thought to contribute to the nutritional-related component of colon cancer risk. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that DCA differentially regulated the site-specific phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). DCA decreased adhesion of HCA-7 cells to the substratum and induced dephosphorylation of FAK at tyrosine-576/577 (Tyr-576/577) and Tyr-925. Tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK at Tyr-397 remained unaffected by DCA stimulation. Interestingly, we found that c-Src was constitutively associated with FAK and DCA actually activated Src, despite no change in FAK-397 and an inhibition of FAK-576 phosphorylation. DCA concomitantly and significantly increased association of tyrosine phosphatase ShP2 with FAK. Incubation of immunoprecipitated FAK, in vitro, with glutathione-S-transferase-ShP2 fusion protein resulted in tyrosine dephosphorylation of FAK in a concentration-dependent manner. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides directed against ShP2 decreased ShP2 protein levels and attenuated DCA-induced FAK dephosphorylation. Inhibition of FAK by adenoviral-mediated overexpression of FAK-related nonkinase and gene silencing of Shp2 both abolished DCA's effect on cell adhesion, thus providing a possible mechanism for inside-out signaling by DCA in colon cancer cells. Our results suggest that DCA differentially regulates focal adhesion complexes and that tyrosine phosphatase ShP2 has a role in DCA signaling.
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PMID:Deoxycholic acid differentially regulates focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation: role of tyrosine phosphatase ShP2. 1692 Jul 1


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