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 major form of familial hyperekplexia, a rare autosomal dominant disorder, is characterized by an abnormal startle reaction elicited by auditory and somatosensory stimuli, with transitory stiffness during the neontam period, followed later by falling attacks accompanied by momentary generalized muscular stiffness. Affected neonates occasionally have fatal hypertonia. The minor form is characterized only by an inconstant excessive startle response. We encountered a family in which three females presented with a partial or complete major form of the disease. All our patients were hyperreflexic, insecure gait was present in two subjects, without concomitant spontaneous nocturnal myoclonus. The pathophysiological basis of the hyperekplexia remains unclear. The abnormal startle reflex, probably related to the lack of inhibition by higher centers, is relayed in the caudal brainstem (ponto-medullary reticular formation), where bulbospinal motor efferents originate. Moreover, nonspecific changes such as large somatosensory evoked potentials and long-loop reflexes ("C-responses") may indicate increased cortical neuronal excitability. Polygraphic studies in these patients were normal. The locus of the major form of the disorder is located on chromosome 5q33-q35. Sequence analysis of the alpha 1 subunit of the inhibitory glycine receptor (GLRA1) revealed a mutation at the same codon 271 in several families (G1192A and G1192T). We analyzed this gene and found a G1192A mutation changing an ARG to a LEU codon in all three presented patients. Sporadic cases may represent new mutations or lack of penetrance in some family members. Only one of our three patients needed clonazepam. The diagnosis of this disorder rules out epilepsy, or psychogenic pathological startle reaction. Electrophysiological criteria are useful, however perinatal hypertonia or a tonic generalized spasm accompanied with falls following an abnormal startle reaction and genetic studies remain the diagnostic milestones of familial hyperekplexia.
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PMID:[Familial hyperekplexia: startle disease. Clinical, electrophysiological and genetic study of a family]. 894 41

Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase which controls crucial steps of differentiation of B lymphocytes. Mutations affecting either the PH, SH3, SH2 or kinase domain of BTK all give rise to X linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA) in humans. In this study, the authors report that the BTK-SH3 domain binds to a set of proteins expressed in pro-B, pre-B and B cell lines. Three of them were characterized as Vav, Sam68 and EWS. The authors show that a Pro-->Leu substitution in a region of the SH3 domain, which is deleted in an XLA patient, is sufficient to abolish BTK-SH3 binding potential. The authors also report that several of the BTK-SH3 binding proteins, including Sam68, EWS and Vav, are tyrosine phosphorylated in conditions that also promote BTK kinase activity. For EWS and Sam68 this tyrosine phosphorylation was cell cycle dependent.
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PMID:The SH3 domain of Bruton's tyrosine kinase interacts with Vav, Sam68 and EWS. 920 Dec 97

The interaction of prolactin (PRL) with its receptor leads to activation of the tyrosine kinase, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2). In the cytoplasmic juxtamembrane region, a short segment (Box 1) which is conserved in other receptors of the PRL/growth hormone (GH)/cytokine receptor family, is required for signal transduction. To assess the contribution of the different amino acids of Box 1, individual alanine substitutions of all residues, grouped substitution of four prolines (4PA mutant) and individual leucine replacement of the two last prolines (P248L and P250L mutants) were introduced. Here we show that P250L and 4PA (i) inhibit PRL-induced transactivation of a luciferase reporter governed by a beta-caseine gene promoter; (ii) decrease in JAK2 tyrosine kinase activity in biotinylated-PRL precipitates; (iii) impair the interaction between PRLR and JAK2, as evidenced by lack of co-immunoprecipitation, (iv) and prevent the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) as determined by absence of tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat5. Our data suggest that the Box 1 region of the PRL receptor and particularly the last proline is critical for JAK2 association and subsequent activation. These results support the notion that the tyrosine kinase JAK2 is implicated in activation of downstream protein effectors such as Stat5, which are involved in transcription of PRL-responsive genes.
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PMID:The last proline of Box 1 is essential for association with JAK2 and functional activation of the prolactin receptor. 920 3

Uptake of L-[14C]glutamate (L-[14C]GLU) into nonsynaptic mitochondria isolated from rat cerebral hemispheres was measured in the presence of potential modulators of amino acid transport. The L-GLU carrier agonist 0.2 mM L-aspartate (L-ASP) virtually abolished L-GLU uptake (ASP/GLU concentration ratio, 1:1). L-Arginine (L-ARG) inhibited L-GLU uptake in a dose dependent manner over the concentration range 0.1-5 mM to maximum inhibition of 85%. Putrescine or ammonia had no effect, whereas 5 mM creatine and the NO generator, 5 mM sodium nitroprusside, increased the uptake by 73% and 57%, respectively. D-ARG was three times less effective in inhibiting L-GLU uptake than L-ARG at 5 mM concentration. The L-amino acids ornithine, lysine, histidine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, proline, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, glycine, methionine, valine, serine, taurine, alanine or cysteine did not affect the uptake when added in concentrations of 2-5 mM. A 14% inhibition of L-GLU uptake was noted in the presence of L-glutamine (L-GLN) (2 mM) or a dicarboxylate carrier ligand, alpha-ketoglutarate (alpha-KG) (5 mM), and a 30% inhibition with a dicarboxylate carrier inhibitor phenylsuccinate (PhSc) (5 mM). The results suggest that L-ARG functions as a specific endogenous modulator of cerebral mitochondrial L-GLU transport.
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PMID:Glutamate uptake is inhibited by L-arginine in mitochondria isolated from rat cerebrum. 924 41

Functional analysis of the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) derived from the membrane-proximal ITAM of CD3zeta demonstrates that mutations at either the tyrosine or leucine residues in the N-terminal YxxL segment of the ITAM abolish all signal transduction functions of this ITAM. In contrast, mutations at the tyrosine or leucine residues in the C-terminal YxxL segment abrogate signals for interleukin (IL)-2 production but do not prevent tyrosine phosphorylation of the N-terminal tyrosine of the ITAM, lck association with the ITAM, activation of phospholipase C-gamma1 or calcium mobilization. Cross-linking of chimeric receptors containing a C-terminal YxxL leucine mutation induces tyrosine phosphorylation of ZAP70 but without stable binding to the phosphorylated ITAM. These results indicate that the two YxxL segments in an ITAM are functionally distinct and that both are essential for ZAP70 binding and IL-2 production. Furthermore, tyrosine phosphorylation of ZAP70 per se is not sufficient to trigger the downstream events leading to IL-2 production. Substitution of an alanine for the bulky side chain at the Y+1 position of the N-terminal YxxL segment reduces the receptor cross-linking requirement necessary to achieve cellular activation and the absolute dependence on lck in this process. Our results reveal that both the number of ITAM as well as the specific amino acid residues within a single ITAM determine the extent of chimeric receptor cross-linking required to trigger tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent signaling events.
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PMID:Functional analysis of immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-mediated signal transduction: the two YxxL segments within a single CD3zeta-ITAM are functionally distinct. 929 38

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that is able to persist for decades in its host. HCMV has evolved protean countermeasures for anti-HCMV cellular immunity that facilitate establishment of persistence. Recently it has been shown that HCMV inhibits interferon gamma (IFN-gamma)-stimulated MHC class II expression, but the mechanism for this effect is unknown. IFN-gamma signal transduction (Jak/Stat pathway) and class II transactivator (CIITA) are required components for IFN-gamma-stimulated MHC class II expression. In this study, we demonstrate that both a clinical isolate and a laboratory strain of HCMV inhibit inducible MHC class II expression at the cell surface and at RNA level in human endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Moreover, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot analyses demonstrate that neither CIITA nor interferon regulatory factor 1 are upregulated in infected cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays reveal a defect in IFN-gamma signal transduction, which was shown by immunoprecipitation to be associated with a striking decrease in Janus kinase 1 (Jak1) levels. Proteasome inhibitor studies with carboxybenzyl-leucyl-leucyl-leucine vinyl sulfone suggest an HCMV-associated enhancement of Jak1 protein degradation. This is the first report of a mechanism for the HCMV-mediated disruption of inducible MHC class II expression and a direct virus-associated alteration in Janus kinase levels. These findings are yet another example of the diverse mechanisms by which HCMV avoids immunosurveillance and establishes persistence.
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PMID:Human cytomegalovirus inhibits major histocompatibility complex class II expression by disruption of the Jak/Stat pathway. 948 Sep 77

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation still remains a poorly understood process, although it is believed to play a critical role in pathological states, including atherosclerosis and hypertension. Several reports have suggested that proteases may be directly involved in this process; however, it was still unclear which protease is responsible for VSMC proliferation. In this study, by use of a cell-permeable calpain inhibitor (calpeptin; benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu-nLeu-H), its analogue (benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu-Met-H), the cell-impermeable serine protease inhibitor leupeptin, and antisense oligonucleotide against m-calpain to inhibit proliferation of primarily cultured human VSMCs, we investigated whether calcium-activated neutral protease (calpain) is involved in VSMC proliferation. Calpeptin and its analogue, more specific for m-calpain, equally inhibited the proliferation of VSMCs in a dose-related manner, whereas a more limited antiproliferative effect was observed in leupeptin-treated VSMCs. Antisense oligonucleotide against m-calpain, but not scrambled antisense, dose-dependently inhibited m-calpain expression and proliferation of VSMCs. Maximal inhibition was an approximately 50% reduction of cell number and m-calpain antigen observed at 50 micromol/L of antisense oligonucleotide. Calpeptin or antisense oligonucleotide against m-calpain increased the expression of the endogenous calpain substrate pp125FAK (focal adhesion kinase), whereas the expression of the endogenous calpain inhibitor calpastatin was not affected. These results suggest that the proliferation of VSMCs requires protease activity, some of which is due to m-calpain.
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PMID:Possible involvement of m-calpain in vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. 951 20

We have previously shown that a tyrosine to leucine replacement in the transmembrane region of T cell receptor (TCR)-beta results in a deficient induction of CD95-L and apoptosis upon TCR triggering in a transfected T cell line. By contrast, interleukin (IL)-2 production and the expression of CD25 and CD69 were normally induced. Since the mutation in TCR-beta also resulted in impaired association of CD3-zeta, it was proposed that this chain is specifically required for the induction of apoptosis. We now show that the deficient induction of CD95-L and apoptosis does not derive from a general lower production of second messengers, since intracellular Ca2+ fluxes and tyrosine phosphorylation of total proteins were elicited at wild-type levels. Unlike in T cell clones stimulated with partial agonists, both p21 and p18 forms of tyrosine-phosphorylated CD3-zeta were detected, although the overall level of tyrosine-phosphorylated CD3-zeta was low. More strikingly, inducible association of ZAP70 to CD3-zeta was strongly inhibited, despite a normal induction of ZAP70 tyrosine phosphorylation. Finally, ZAP70 was not concentrated near the plasma membrane in the apoptosis-deficient cells. These results suggest that CD3-zeta is necessary for engagement of a specific signaling pathway leading to CD95-L expression that also needs the recruitment of ZAP70.
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PMID:T cell receptor (TCR) engagement in apoptosis-defective, but interleukin 2 (IL-2)-producing, T cells results in impaired ZAP70/CD3-zeta association. 954 30

Transmission of zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) by aphids was examined by introducing mutations within the highly conserved proline-threonine-lysine (PTK) motif of the helper component proteinase (HC-Pro) using a cDNA full-length clone. Replacement of proline by alanine (ATK) in the PTK motif abolished transmission almost completely both from plants and from membranes. Substitution of the basic lysine by glutamic acid (PTE) did not reduce the rate of transmission compared with the wild-type. Replacement of threonine by valine (PVK) or serine (PSK) resulted in a rate of transmission that was lower than that of the wild-type. The rate was lower for PSK than for PVK. Western blot comparison did not permit attribution of HC-Pro functionality in transmission to its level in the host. The HC-Pro of strains that effected transmission (with the wild-type PTK motif, and with the mutated PTE and PVK motifs) could also bind in vitro to virions of ZYMV. HC-Pro with a PSK motif, which was less effective in assisting transmission, could bind only weakly to virions, while HC-Pro of the almost non-transmissible strains (with PAK and ATK motifs) did not bind at all. Interestingly, positive binding was recorded for transmission-defective ZYMV-Ct, which has a PTK motif but has glutamic acid instead of lysine in the lysine-leucine-serine-cysteine (KLSC) motif. These findings support the 'bridge hypothesis', and confirm the binding of the HC-Pro to the virion. The possible role of the PTK and KLSC motifs in binding to the virus and to the mouthparts of the aphid is discussed.
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PMID:Mutations in the HC-Pro gene of zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus: effects on aphid transmission and binding to purified virions. 956 86

Paxillin is a focal adhesion adaptor protein involved in the integration of growth factor- and adhesion-mediated signal transduction pathways. Repeats of a leucine-rich sequence named paxillin LD motifs (Brown M.C., M.S. Curtis, and C.E. Turner. 1998. Nature Struct. Biol. 5:677-678) have been implicated in paxillin binding to focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and vinculin. Here we demonstrate that the individual paxillin LD motifs function as discrete and selective protein binding interfaces. A novel scaffolding function is described for paxillin LD4 in the binding of a complex of proteins containing active p21 GTPase-activated kinase (PAK), Nck, and the guanine nucleotide exchange factor, PIX. The association of this complex with paxillin is mediated by a new 95-kD protein, p95PKL (paxillin-kinase linker), which binds directly to paxillin LD4 and PIX. This protein complex also binds to Hic-5, suggesting a conservation of LD function across the paxillin superfamily. Cloning of p95PKL revealed a multidomain protein containing an NH2-terminal ARF-GAP domain, three ankyrin-like repeats, a potential calcium-binding EF hand, calmodulin-binding IQ motifs, a myosin homology domain, and two paxillin-binding subdomains (PBS). Green fluorescent protein- (GFP-) tagged p95PKL localized to focal adhesions/complexes in CHO.K1 cells. Overexpression in neuroblastoma cells of a paxillin LD4 deletion mutant inhibited lamellipodia formation in response to insulin-like growth fac- tor-1. Microinjection of GST-LD4 into NIH3T3 cells significantly decreased cell migration into a wound. These data implicate paxillin as a mediator of p21 GTPase-regulated actin cytoskeletal reorganization through the recruitment to nascent focal adhesion structures of an active PAK/PIX complex potentially via interactions with p95PKL.
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PMID:Paxillin LD4 motif binds PAK and PIX through a novel 95-kD ankyrin repeat, ARF-GAP protein: A role in cytoskeletal remodeling. 1033 Apr 11


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