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)

Natural killer and natural killer-like T cell lymphomas represent a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma originally described to involve the upper aerodigestive tract. This malignancy has been increasingly observed in other extranodal sites, particularly in the skin. Patients with cutaneous natural killer cell lymphoma generally have a poor prognosis; however, the etiology and the underlying molecular pathogenesis remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate comprehensively genomic changes in blastic natural killer and extranodal natural killer-like T cell lymphoma with cutaneous involvement. Comparative genomic hybridization showed chromosome imbalances in six of eight cases studied (75%). The mean number of chromosome imbalances per sample was 2.18+/-1.63 with similar number of gains (1.18+/-1.17) and losses (1.00+/-1.34). The most frequent DNA copy number changes observed were losses of 9/9p (83%), followed by loss of 13q and gain of 7 (67%). Similar patterns of chromosome imbalances were observed in both blastic natural killer and cutaneous natural killer-like T cell lymphomas. Loss of the RB1 gene at 13q14.2 was detected in one blastic natural killer cell lymphoma with 13q loss using a gene dosage assay, and in one cutaneous natural killer-like T cell lymphoma without 13q loss using fluorescent in situ hybridization. Genomic microarray analysis identified oncogene copy number gains of PAK1 and JUNB in three of four cases studied, and gains of RAF1, CTSB, FGFR1, and BCR in two cases. Real-time polymerase chain reaction detected amplification of CTSB and RAF1 in four of five cases analyzed, JUNB and MYCN in three cases, and REL and YES1 in two cases, respectively. In conjunction with this study, an extensive literature search for the published G-banded karyotypes of four subsets of natural killer cell lymphomas was conducted, which showed a nonrandom pattern of multiple chromosome aberrations. These results reveal consistent genetic alterations in cutaneous natural killer cell lymphomas, and provide a basis for further investigation of molecular pathogenesis in this malignancy.
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PMID:Genomic alterations in blastic natural killer/extranodal natural killer-like T cell lymphoma with cutaneous involvement. 1292 24

The hematopoietic-specific Galpha16 protein has recently been shown to mediate receptor-induced activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). In the present study, we have delineated the mechanism by which Galpha16 stimulates STAT3 in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. A constitutively active Galpha16 mutant, Galpha16QL, stimulated STAT3-dependent luciferase activity as well as the phosphorylation of STAT3 at both Tyr705 and Ser727. Galpha16QL-induced STAT3 activation was enhanced by overexpression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1), but was inhibited by U0126, a Raf-1 inhibitor, and coexpression of the dominant negative mutants of Ras and Rac1. Inhibition of phospholipase Cbeta, protein kinase C, and calmodulin-dependent kinase II by their respective inhibitors also suppressed Galpha16QL-induced STAT3 activation. The involvement of tyrosine kinases such as c-Src and Janus kinase 2 and 3 (JAK2 and JAK3) in Galpha16QL-induced activation of STAT3 was illustrated by the combined use of selective inhibitors and dominant negative mutants. In contrast, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38 MAPK, RhoA, Cdc42, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and the epidermal growth factor receptor did not appear to be required. Similar observations were obtained with human erythroleukemia cells, where STAT3 phosphorylation was stimulated by C5a in a PTX-insensitive manner. Collectively, these results highlight the important regulatory roles of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and c-Src/JAK pathways on the stimulation of STAT3 by activated Galpha16. Demonstration of the involvement of different kinases in Galpha16QL-induced STAT3 activation supports the involvement of multiple signaling pathways in the regulation of transcription by G proteins.
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PMID:Constitutively active Galpha16 stimulates STAT3 via a c-Src/JAK- and ERK-dependent mechanism. 1455 Dec 13

Signal transduction mediated by ErbB/HER receptor tyrosine kinases is crucial for the development and maintenance of epithelial tissues, and aberrant signaling is frequently associated with malignancies of epithelial origin. This review focuses on the roles played by the Hsp90 chaperone machinery in the regulation of signaling through the ErbB/HER network, and discusses potential therapeutic strategies that disrupt chaperone functions. Hsp90 and its associated cochaperones regulate ErbB signal transduction through multiple mechanisms. The chaperone system controls the stability of the nascent forms of both ErbB-1 (EGF-receptor) and ErbB-2/HER2, while regulation of the mature form is restricted to ErbB-2. Regulation by the Hsp90 complex extends to downstream effectors of ErbB signaling, namely Raf-1, Pdk-1 and Akt/PKB. Disrupting the function of Hsp90 results in the degradation of both the receptors and their effectors, thereby inhibiting tumor cell growth. The importance of an Hsp90-recognition motif located within the kinase domain of ErbB-2 is discussed, as well as a direct role for Hsp90 in regulating tyrosine kinase activity. In light of recent observations, we emphasize the ability of specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors to selectively target ErbB-2 to the chaperone-mediated degradation pathway. ErbB-specific drugs are already used to treat cancers, and clinical trials are underway for additional compounds that intercept ErbB signaling, including drugs that target Hsp90. Hence, the dependence of ErbB-2 upon Hsp90 reveals an Achilles heel, which opens a window of opportunity for combating cancers driven by the ErbB/HER signaling network.
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PMID:The achilles heel of ErbB-2/HER2: regulation by the Hsp90 chaperone machine and potential for pharmacological intervention. 1465 66

The molecular chaperone Hsp90 is not only of major current interest in fundamental biological research but also recognised as an exciting new target for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. In addition to playing an important role in response to proteotoxic heat shock and others stresses, Hsp90 is also critical for maintaining normal cellular homeostasis. Hsp90 is responsible for ensuring the conformational stability, shape and function of a selected range of key proteins, including many kinases and transcription factors. Furthermore, recent studies show that Hsp90 plays a key role in development and evolution. Hsp90 is overexpressed in cancer cells and is thought to be involved in dealing with the cellular stress associated with malignancy, as well as being essential for a range of key oncogenic proteins, including ErbB2, Raf-1, Akt/PKB, mutant p53 and many others. A major attraction of Hsp90 inhibitors is their potential to inhibit a range of 'mission critical' cancer pathways, thereby blocking all of the 'hallmark traits' of malignancy and exhibiting broad-spectrum antitumour activity. The first-in-class Hsp90 inhibitor 17AAG has entered clinical trials with promising early results and a range of other agents is under investigation and preclinical development. This article reviews the current status and future prospects for the exploitation of Hsp90 as a new molecular target for cancer treatment.
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PMID:Combinatorial attack on multistep oncogenesis by inhibiting the Hsp90 molecular chaperone. 1501 20

The hematopoietic-specific Galpha14 links a variety of G protein-coupled receptors to phospholipase Cbeta (PLCbeta) stimulation. Recent studies reveal that several Galpha subunits are capable of activating signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism by which Galpha14 mediates receptor-induced stimulation of STAT3. In human embryonic kidney 293 cells, coexpression of Galpha14 with delta-opioid receptor supported [D-Pen2, D-Pen5]enkephalin (DPDPE)-induced STAT3 phosphorylations at both Tyr705 and Ser727 in a pertussis toxin-insensitive manner. The constitutively active Galpha4QL mutant also induced STAT3 phosphorylations at these sites and promoted STAT3-dependent luciferase activity. Requirements for PLCbeta, protein kinase C (PKC), and calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) in Galpha14QL-induced STAT3 activation were demonstrated by their respective inhibitors as well as by coexpression of their dominant-negative mutants. Inhibition of c-Src and Janus kinase 2 and 3 activities abolished STAT3 activation induced by Galpha14QL, but no physical association between Galpha14QL and c-Src could be detected by coimmunoprecipitation. Various intermediates along the extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling cascade were apparently required for Galpha14QL-induced STAT3 activation; they included Ras/Rac1, Raf-1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-1/2. In contrast, functional blockade of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase had no effect on Galpha14QL-induced responses. PLCbeta, PKC, and CaMKII were shown to be involved in Galpha14QL-mediated c-Src phosphorylation. Similar results were obtained with human erythro-leukemia cells upon DPDPE treatment. These results demonstrate for the first time that Galpha14 activation can lead to STAT3 stimulation via a complex signaling network involving multiple intermediates.
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PMID:Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation by the delta-opioid receptor via Galpha14 involves multiple intermediates. 1515 36

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is present at high concentrations in ascites and plasma of ovarian cancer patients. Studies conducted in experimental models demonstrate that LPA promotes ovarian cancer invasion/metastasis by up-regulating protease expression, elevating protease activity, and enhancing angiogenic factor expression. In this study, we investigated the effect of LPA on ovarian cancer migration, an essential component of cancer cell invasion. LPA stimulates both chemotaxis and chemokinesis of ovarian cancer cells and LPA-stimulated cell migration is G(I) dependent. Moreover, constitutively active H-Ras enhances ovarian cancer cell migration, whereas dominant negative H-Ras blocks LPA-stimulated cell migration, suggesting that Ras works downstream of G(i) to mediate LPA-stimulated cell migration. Interestingly, H-Ras mutants that specifically activate Raf-1, Ral-GDS, or phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase are unable to significantly enhance ovarian cancer cell migration, suggesting that a Ras downstream effector distinct from Raf-1, Ral-GDS, and phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase is responsible for LPA-stimulated cell migration. In this article, we demonstrate that LPA activates mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEKK1) in a G(i)-Ras-dependent manner and that MEKK1 activity is essential for LPA-stimulated ovarian cancer cell migration. Inhibitors that block MEKK1 downstream pathways, including MEK1/2, MKK4/7, and nuclear factor-kappa B pathways, do not significantly alter LPA-stimulated cell migration. Instead, LPA induces the redistribution of focal adhesion kinase to focal contact regions of the cytoplasm membrane, and this event is abolished by pertussis toxin, dominant negative H-Ras, or dominant negative MEKK1. Our studies thus suggest that the G(i)-Ras-MEKK1 signaling pathway mediates LPA-stimulated ovarian cancer cell migration by facilitating focal adhesion kinase redistribution to focal contacts.
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PMID:Lysophosphatidic Acid Stimulates Ovarian Cancer Cell Migration via a Ras-MEK Kinase 1 Pathway. 1520 33

The mutation status of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable regions (IgVH) has been found to be a good prognostic indicator for B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) because unmutated VH genes are associated with rapid disease progression and shorter survival time. To study the differences in gene expression between the Ig-unmutated and Ig-mutated CLL subtypes, we performed gene expression profiling on 31 CLL cases and investigated the VH gene mutation status by sequencing. The array data showed that the greatest variances between the unmutated (20 cases) and the mutated (11 cases) group were in expressions of ZAP70, RAF1, PAX5, TCF1, CD44, SF1, S100A12, NUP214, DAF, GLVR1, MKK6, AF4, CX3CR1, NAFTC1, and HEX. ZAP70 was significantly more expressed in the Ig-unmutated CLL group, whereas the expression of all the other genes was higher in the Ig-mutated cases. These results corroborate a recent finding, according to which the expression of ZAP70 can predict the VH mutation status and suggest that RAF1, PAX5, and other differentially expressed genes may offer good markers for differentiating unmutated cases from mutated cases and thus serve as prognostic markers.
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PMID:Different gene expression in immunoglobulin-mutated and immunoglobulin-unmutated forms of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. 1532 98

The BCR/ABL fusion tyrosine kinase activates various intracellular signaling pathways, thus causing chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Here we demonstrate that the inducible expression of BCR/ABL in a murine hematopoietic cell line, TonB210, leads to the activation of the Ras family small GTPase Rap1, which is inhibited by the ABL kinase inhibitor imatinib. The Rap1 activity in a CML cell line, K562, was also inhibited by imatinib. Inhibition of Rap1 activation by a dominant negative mutant of Rap1, Rap1-N17, or SPA-1 inhibited the BCR/ABL-induced activation of Elk-1. BCR/ABL also activated in a kinase activity-dependent manner the B-Raf kinase, which is an effector molecule of Rap1 and a potent activator of the MEK/Erk/Elk-1 signaling pathway. Together, these data suggest that, in addition to the well-established Ras/Raf-1 pathway, BCR/ABL activates the alternative signaling pathway involving Rap1 and B-Raf to activate Erk, which may play important roles in leukemogenesis.
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PMID:BCR/ABL activates Rap1 and B-Raf to stimulate the MEK/Erk signaling pathway in hematopoietic cells. 1559 48

In the present study, we report that staurosporine, a known PKC inhibitor, enhanced in vitro angiogenesis. Endothelial cells plated in a three-dimensional matrix formed cords and enclosed structures within 4-6 hours. The cells in cord structures became elongated during the subsequent incubation. Tube formation was confirmed by confocal microscopy. Addition of VEGF enhanced the early responses of endothelial cells, leading to enhanced formation of cords. Staurosporine unexpectedly also enhanced the early endothelial responses, leading to faster alignment of cells and assembly into tube-like structures. At concentrations inhibitory to endothelial cell PKC activity, staurosporine produced 91% and 203% increases in the number of cords and the enclosed structures, respectively, as compared to the controls. Other selective inhibitors of PKC did not stimulate in vitro angiogenesis in the absence or presence of VEGF. Further investigation showed that inhibition of PI-3 kinase and Raf-1 significantly reduced the effects of staurosporine. Staurosporine-induced in vitro angiogenesis required integrins alpha2 and alphavbeta3 and was associated with significantly enhanced FAK phosphorylation. These data indicate that staurosporine enhances in vitro angiogenesis by a means unrelated to its PKC inhibition. The data suggest that enhancement of in vitro angiogenesis by staurosporine involves integrin-mediated signaling, including the stimulation of FAK phosphorylation.
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PMID:Staurosporine promotes endothelial cell assembly and FAK phosphorylation during in vitro angiogenesis. 1561 75

This paper provides a discussion of several standards and guidelines for design of visual display terminal (VDT) workplaces. The material represents products of government agencies, commercial standards organisations and of labour unions. Seven documents are reviewed: US MIL STD 1472-C, German DIN 66234, British HSE, Swedish ISO Proposal, British APEX, US NYCOSH, and Australian ACTU-VTHC. There is considerable disagreement in the specification of design parameters in these standards. The issues are discussed in terms of their importance and the availability of supporting ergonomics research. There are several types of VDT tasks and the number and variety of applications are growing rapidly. Due to these factors and the development of new display technologies, different recommendations may be appropriate depending upon the task and the technology. Research and careful deliberation will be required to deal with this development.
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PMID:An overview of standards and guidelines for visual display terminals. 1567 18


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