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)

PTK6 (also known as Brk) is a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase, whose mRNA was expressed in the limited normal tissues such as colon and small intestine, and in breast carcinomas and breast cancer cell lines. The 813 bp region upstream from the translation initiation codon, which constitutes a functional promoter of the human PTK6 gene, was progressively deleted and fused to the luciferase reporter gene and transient expression of the resultant constructs was measured upon transfection into a breast carcinoma cell line, T-47D. Comparative analysis of luciferase activity revealed two major regions, -93 to -76 and -702 to -655, important for transcriptional regulation. The proximal -93 to -76 region was found to be essential for the function of the minimal promoter. By primer extension and PCR, it was shown that a PTK6 transcript started at the most 5' upstream is located around base -104. Therefore, the proximal -93 to -76 region is thought to function as a downstream cis-acting element. Luciferase analysis showed that the distal -702 to -655 region contained at least two cis-acting elements. Gel mobility shift assays with T-47D nuclear extract including competition analyses with consensus and mutant oligonucleotides and supershift analyses with NF-kappaB and Sp1 antibodies showed that NF-kappaB binds to the sequence from -706 to -688 and Sp1 binds to the sequence from -688 to -669. This study thus provides the first molecular insights into the transcriptional regulation of the human PTK6 gene.
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PMID:Characterization of the 5'-flanking region of the human PTK6 gene. 1199 4

Procept, Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced preclinical results demonstrating the contraceptive efficacy of its PRO 2000 topical microbicide gel. In a program of late-breaking discoveries presented at the National Conference on Women and HIV, held in Pasadena, California, Procept scientists described the results of studies recently conducted with PRO 2000. The in vitro results showed that PRO 2000 was contraceptive when rabbits were dosed intravaginally with a gel containing a 4% concentration of PRO 2000. At a concentration about 10 times lower, PRO 2000 did not appear to affect the rabbit pregnancy rate. Results of preclinical tests have indicated that both concentrations prevent HIV infection, suggesting that contraceptive and noncontraceptive formulations of this drug may be developed. "The potential of this compound as an advancement in the area of women's health is significant," said Stanley C. Erck, Procept. "We believe that the contraceptive properties demonstrated by PRO 2000 Gel will complement the anti-HIV/STD activity we will be evaluating in clinical trials." "More than 70% of all HIV infections worldwide follow heterosexual intercourse. A major problem confounding efforts to prevent AIDS in women has been the lack of effective, female-controlled barrier methods. PRO 2000 Gel has been identified as a topical microbicide well suited for use by women to prevent HIV infection. In laboratory studies, PRO 2000 blocked infection by a wide variety of HIV strains and also was active against herpes simplex virus." Clinical studies currently are underway to assess the safety of PRO 2000 Gel in healthy female volunteers. Assuming the results of these studies are positive, additional studies will be conducted to demonstrate safety and efficacy in populations at high risk for HIV infection.
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PMID:Data complement anti-STD activity of PRO 2000 gel. Contraceptives. 1232 Aug 75

Previously, we reported that glycosylation-dependent cell adhesion molecule 1 (GlyCAM 1) was a novel target for prolactin (PRL) in the mouse mammary gland. However, the signaling pathway by which PRL regulates GlyCAM 1 expression has not been specified. In the present study, we showed that PRL induced GlyCAM 1 expression in primary mammary epithelial cells of mice through the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (Stat5) pathway. Deletion and site-directed mutagenesis analyses of the GlyCAM 1 promoter demonstrated that the two tandemly linked Stat5 binding sites [interferon-gamma-activated sequence 1 and -2 (GAS1 and GAS2)] in the proximal promoter region were crucial and synergistically responded to PRL. GAS2, a consensus GAS site, was essential and, by itself, weakly responded to PRL, whereas GAS1, a nonconsensus site, failed to respond to PRL but was indispensable for the maximal activity of the GlyCAM 1 promoter. Gel shift assays showed that probe containing GAS1 and GAS2 bound two Stat5 complexes, which represent Stat5 dimer and tetramer, respectively, while GAS2, by itself, bound Stat5 as a dimer only, and GAS1 showed no apparent binding activity. Interruption of tetramer formation by mutation of a tryptophan to alanine (W37A), and a leucine to serine (L83S) in the N terminus of Stat5A attenuated the synergistic effect between the two tandemly linked GAS sites. Overexpression of W37A and L83S mutants in primary mammary epithelial cells suppressed endogenous GlyCAM 1 expression.
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PMID:Two tandemly linked interferon-gamma-activated sequence elements in the promoter of glycosylation-dependent cell adhesion molecule 1 gene synergistically respond to prolactin in mouse mammary epithelial cells. 1286 89

Several distinct receptor proteins for the second messengers Ins(1,3,4,5)P(4) and PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) are already known, such as the brain-specific p42(IP4), which we have previously cloned from different species, and cytohesins. However, it is still unclear whether proteins interacting with phosphoinositide and inositolpolyphosphate second messengers are regulated differently in different tissues. Here, we investigated these native proteins for comparison also from rat lung cytosol and purified them by PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) affinity chromatography. Proteins selectively binding Ins(1,3,4,5)P(4) with high affinity also showed high affinity and specificity towards PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3). In lung cytosol, two prominent protein bands were found in the eluate from a PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) affinity column. We identified these proteins by mass spectrometry as the cytohesin family of Arf guanosine nucleotide exchange factors (cytohesin 1, ARNO, GRP-1) and as Bruton's tyrosine kinase. Western blot analysis indicated that p42(IP4) was present in lung only at very low concentrations. Applying the affinity purification scheme established for rat lung cytosol to cytosol from rat brain, however, yielded only p42(IP4). We identified cytohesins in rat brain by Western blotting and PCR, but cytohesins surprisingly did not bind to the PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3)-affinity column. Gel filtration experiments of brain cytosol revealed that brain cytohesins are bound to large molecular weight complexes (150 to more than 500 kDa). Thus, we hypothesize that this finding explains why brain cytohesins apparently do not bind the inositolphosphate ligand. In lung cytosol, on the other hand, cytohesins occur as dimers. Gel filtration also showed that p42(IP4) in brain cytosol occurs as a monomer. Thus, oligomerization (homomeric or heteromeric) of InsP(4)/PtdInsP(3) binding proteins can modulate their function in a tissue-dependent manner because it can modify their ability to interact with the ligands.
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PMID:Oligomerization controls in tissue-specific manner ligand binding of native, affinity-purified p42(IP4)/centaurin alpha1 and cytohesins-proteins with high affinity for the messengers D-inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate/phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate. 1449 94

A novel injectable thermosensitive in situ gelling hydrogel has been developed. The system, which falls under the BST-Gel platform technology developed at Biosyntech Inc. (Laval, QC, Canada), consists of a chitosan solution (C) neutralized with beta-glycerophosphate (GP) that is liquid at room temperature but gels when heated to body temperature. We propose to use this thermosensitive hydrogel for the sustained release of paclitaxel at tumor resection sites in order to prevent local tumor recurrence. The in vitro release profiles demonstrated controlled delivery over 1 month. The initial drug loading substantially affected the release. Local delivery of paclitaxel from the formulation injected intratumorally was investigated using EMT-6 tumors implanted subcutaneously on Balb/c mice. These experiments showed that one intratumoral injection of the thermosensitive hydrogel containing paclitaxel was as efficacious as four intravenous injections of Taxol in inhibiting the growth of EMT-6 cancer cells in mice, but in a less toxic manner. Further histological analysis revealed that while the proportion of necrotic areas was similar for the C/GP/paclitaxel and the Taxol-treated tumors, a disparity between tumor-associated inflammatory cell populations may suggest differing anti-tumor mechanisms.
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PMID:A thermosensitive chitosan-based hydrogel for the local delivery of paclitaxel. 1472 80

Extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover is regulated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and plays an important role in cardiac remodeling. Previous studies from our lab demonstrated an increase in gelatinolytic-MMP-2 and -9 activities in endocardial tissue from ischemic cardiomyopathic (ICM) and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathic (DCM) hearts. The signaling mechanism responsible for the left ventricular (LV) remodeling, however, is unclear. Administration of cardiac specific inhibitor of metalloproteinase (CIMP) prevented the activation of MMP-2 and -9 in ailing to failing myocardium. Activation of MMP-2 and -9 leads to induction of proteinase activated receptor-1 (PAR-1). We hypothesize that the early induction of MMP-9 is a key regulator for modulating intracellular signaling through activation of PAR and various downstream events which are implicated in development of cardiac fibrosis in an extracellular receptor mediated kinase-1 (ERK-1) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) dependent manner. To test this hypothesis, explanted human heart tissues from ICM and DCM patients were obtained at the time of orthotopic cardiac transplants. Quantitative analysis of MMP-2 and -9 gelatinolytic activities was made by real-time quantitative zymography. Gel phosphorylation staining for PAR-1 showed a significant increase in ICM hearts. Western blot and RT-PCR analysis and in-situ labeling, showed significant increased expression of PAR-1, ERK-1and FAK in ICM and DCM. These observations suggest that the enhanced expression and potentially increased activity of LV myocardial MMP-9 triggers the signal cascade instigating cardiac remodeling. This early mechanism for the initiation of LV remodeling appears to have a role in end-stage human heart failure.
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PMID:Early induction of matrix metalloproteinase-9 transduces signaling in human heart end stage failure. 1620 18

Biventricular dilation and severe cardiac dysfunction are observed during septic shock. However, when endotoxemia and vasoconstrictor-masked hypovolemia work in concert in the pathogenesis of shock, the clinical scenario is more adverse compared to one of the insults acting alone. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in chronic and acute heart failure by degrading the mechanical scaffold of the heart and several intracellular proteins. Therefore, the roles of MMP-2, MMP-9, MT1-MMP, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and Paxillin in hearts of early multiple organ failure induced by norfenefrine-masked hypovolemia and endotoxemia were investigated in an ovine model. Experimental groups included (1) norfenefrine-masked hypovolemia plus endotoxemia (NMH+ENDO) (n=6), (2) norfenefrine-masked hypovolemia without endotoxemia (NMH) (n=6), (3) recurrent endotoxemia during normovolemia (ENDO) (n=6), and (4) healthy untreated controls (CON) (n=3). Apoptosis was determined by TUNEL-staining. Gel zymography revealed significantly increased MMP-2 activity in NMH+ENDO compared to ENDO and controls. MMP-9 activity was significantly elevated in all experimental groups. MMP-2 was significantly increased at the protein level, while MMP-9 was unaltered. MT1-MMP was not significantly changed in any group. Increased MMP activities were associated with cardiac deterioration. MMP-2/-9 activity and phosphorylated Paxillin (p-Paxillin) expression correlated positively with cardiomyocyte apoptosis. This study underscores the pivotal roles of MMP in acute cardiac dysfunction during early multiple organ failure in combined vasoconstrictor-masked hypovolemic and endotoxemia shock.
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PMID:Roles of MMP-2/-9 in cardiac dysfunction during early multiple organ failure in an ovine animal model. 1630 6

The 4-carboxymethylen-4-sulfo-but-2-en-olide (4-sulfomuconolactone) hydrolases from Hydrogenophaga intermedia strain S1 and Agrobacterium radiobacter strain S2 are part of a modified protocatechuate pathway responsible for the degradation of 4-sulfocatechol. In both strains, the hydrolase-encoding genes occur downstream of those encoding the enzymes that catalyze the lactonization of 3-sulfomuconate. The deduced amino acid sequences of the 4-sulfomuconolactone hydrolases demonstrated the highest degree of sequence identity to 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylate hydrolases, which take part in the meta cleavage pathway of protocatechuate. The 4-sulfomuconolactone hydrolases did not convert 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylate, and the 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylate hydrolase from Sphingomonas paucimobilis SYK-6 did not convert 4-sulfomuconolactone. Nevertheless, the presence of highly conserved histidine residues in the 4-sulfomuconolactone and the 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylate hydrolases and some further sequence similarities suggested that both enzymes belong to the metallo-dependent hydrolases (the "amidohydrolase superfamily"). The 4-sulfomuconolactone hydrolases were heterologously expressed as His-tagged enzyme variants. Gel filtration experiments suggested that the enzymes are present as monomers in solution, with molecular weights of approximately 33,000 to 35,000. 4-Sulfomuconolactone was converted by sulfomuconolactone hydrolases to stoichiometric amounts of maleylacetate and sulfite. The 4-sulfomuconolactone hydrolases from both strains showed pH optima at pH 7 to 7.5 and rather similar catalytic constant (k(cat)/K(M))values. The suggested 4-sulfocatechol pathway from 4-sulfocatechol to maleylacetate was confirmed by in situ nuclear magnetic resonance analysis using the recombinantly expressed enzymes.
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PMID:4-sulfomuconolactone hydrolases from Hydrogenophaga intermedia S1 and Agrobacterium radiobacter S2. 1766 Feb 82

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) may result in part from de-differentiation of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in an aberrant wound-healing strategy. An in vitro model of PVR, collagen gel contraction by RPE, likely requires integrin engagement and activation as an important initial step. The purpose of this study was to identify the important associated integrins and signal transduction pathway. The retinal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE-19 was used in these studies. Cell surface integrin expression was assessed using flow cytometry. An in vitro contraction assay was performed and the percent contraction quantified at specific time intervals using image capture (Gel Doc) and NIH Image software. Cells were pretreated with either small molecule inhibitors of signal transduction pathways or monoclonal antibodies with specificity for specific integrin isoforms. Transient transfections with a FAK siRNA were used to decrease FAK expression. ARPE-19 cells express alpha1, alpha2, and alpha3 integrin, isoforms involved in collagen ligation. Cell surface integrin blockade using anti-integrin alpha2 (P=0.02), alpha3 (P=0.01), or a combination of alpha1, alpha2, and alpha3 (P=0.001) antibodies significantly reduced collagen gel contraction. Inhibition of the FAK-Src complex, but not MEK or PI3K, significantly decreased contraction (P=0.0001). FAK siRNA transient transfection significantly reduced FAK protein expression by 71% (P=0.02) and concordantly decreased gel contraction (P=0.0001). RPE-mediated collagen gel contraction is a multi-step process. Integrin ligation and FAK-Src activation is necessary for collagen gel contraction produced by the ARPE-19 cell line. Validation of these observations in primary RPE cells may suggest new targets for therapeutic intervention in PVR.
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PMID:Collagen gel contraction by ARPE-19 cells is mediated by a FAK-Src dependent pathway. 1791 17

Src family kinase (SFK) is a family of protein tyrosine kinases that play important roles in the development of various cancers. Here, we showed that a naturally occurring inhibitory factor of SFK can be extracted from the rat brain. This inhibitor strongly suppressed the activity of SFKs including Lck and Fyn. It did not inhibit other protein tyrosine kinases including Wee1 or serine/threonine kinases Mst2, Cdk5/p25, Cdk5/p35, and Cdk2/cyclin A. The inhibitor was not an ATPase, a phosphatase that dephosphorylates substrates of the SFK reaction, or a protease that degrades SFKs. Activity of mutant Lck with C-terminal tyrosine substituted with phenylalanine was also suppressed by the inhibitor to a similar extent of wild-type Lck, indicating that the inhibitor was not CSK. Gel filtration chromatography indicated that the molecular size of the prevalent form of this inhibitor was approximately 44 kDa.
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PMID:Inhibition of Lck: evidence for a novel natural Src family kinase inhibitor. 2182 65


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