Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.1 (protein kinase)
 81,284 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Epidemiological studies support a link between melanoma risk and UV exposure early in life, yet the molecular targets of UV's mutagenic actions are not known. By using well characterized murine models of melanoma, we provide genetic and molecular evidence that identifies components of the Rb pathway as the principal targets of UV mutagenesis in murine melanoma development. In a melanoma model driven by H-RAS activation and loss of p19(ARF) function, UV exposure resulted in a marked acceleration in melanoma genesis, with nearly half of these tumors harboring amplification of cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) 6, whereas none of the melanomas arising in the absence of UV treatment possessed cdk6 amplification. Moreover, UV-induced melanomas showed a strict reciprocal relationship between cdk6 amplification and p16(INK4a) loss, which is consistent with the actions of UV along the Rb pathway. Most significantly, UV exposure had no impact on the kinetics of melanoma driven by H-RAS activation and p16(INK4a) deficiency. Together, these molecular and genetic data identify components of the Rb pathway as critical biological targets of UV-induced mutagenesis in the development of murine melanoma in vivo.
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PMID:Components of the Rb pathway are critical targets of UV mutagenesis in a murine melanoma model. 1253 79

The INK4 family of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors negatively regulates cyclin D-dependent CDK4 and CDK6 and thereby retains the growth-suppressive function of Rb family proteins. Mutations in the CDK4 gene conferring INK4 resistance are associated with familial and sporadic melanoma in humans and result in a wide spectrum of tumors in mice. Whereas loss of function of other INK4 genes in mice leads to little or no tumor development, targeted deletion of p18(INK4c) causes spontaneous pituitary tumors and lymphoma late in life. Here we show that treatment of p18 null and heterozygous mice with a chemical carcinogen resulted in tumor development at an accelerated rate. The remaining wild-type allele of p18 was neither mutated nor silenced in tumors derived from heterozygotes. Hence, p18 is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor in mice.
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PMID:Haploinsufficiency of p18(INK4c) sensitizes mice to carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis. 1255 87

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenolic constituent present in green tea, is a promising chemopreventive agent. We recently showed that green tea polyphenols exert remarkable preventive effects against prostate cancer in a mouse model and many of these effects are mediated by the ability of polyphenols to induce apoptosis in cancer cells [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98 (2001) 10350]. Earlier, we showed that EGCG causes a G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of both androgen-sensitive LNCaP and androgen-insensitive DU145 human prostate carcinoma cells, irrespective of p53 status [Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 164 (2000) 82]. Here, we provide molecular understanding of this effect. We tested a hypothesis that EGCG-mediated cell cycle dysregulation and apoptosis is mediated via modulation of cyclin kinase inhibitor (cki)-cyclin-cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) machinery. As shown by immunoblot analysis, EGCG treatment of LNCaP and DU145 cells resulted in significant dose- and time-dependent (i) upregulation of the protein expression of WAF1/p21, KIP1/p27, INK4a/p16, and INK4c/p18, (ii) down-modulation of the protein expression of cyclin D1, cyclin E, cdk2, cdk4, and cdk6, but not of cyclin D2, (iii) increase in the binding of cyclin D1 toward WAF1/p21 and KIP1/p27, and (iv) decrease in the binding of cyclin E toward cdk2. Taken together, our results suggest that EGCG causes an induction of G1 phase ckis, which inhibits the cyclin-cdk complexes operative in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, thereby causing an arrest, which may be an irreversible process ultimately leading to apoptotic cell death. This is the first systematic study showing the involvement of each component of cdk inhibitor-cyclin-cdk machinery during cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of human prostate carcinoma cells by EGCG.
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PMID:Molecular pathway for (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of human prostate carcinoma cells. 1255 91

Deregulation of the RB pathway is shared by most human malignancies. Components upstream of the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor (pRB), namely the INK4 family of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, the D-type cyclins, their partner kinases CDK4/CDK6, and pRB as their critical substrate, are differentially targeted in diverse types of cancer. An 'unorthodox' spectrum of defects within this cascade occurs in testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs), including silencing of pRB transcription, overexpression of cyclin D2, and loss of p18INK4c. To improve understanding of the role of this pathway in spermatogenesis, and its subversion in TGCTs, we examined immunohistochemical expression patterns of CDK4, p16INK4a, p15INK4b, and pRB, and established an in situ assay for cyclin D-mediated phosphorylation of serine795, a phosphorylation event critical for neutralization of pRB's growth-restraining ability. pRB was expressed throughout adult spermatogenesis and was detectable in teratomas, but was absent or grossly reduced in carcinoma in situ (CIS) and most seminomas and embryonal carcinomas. Unexpectedly, we also found that pRB was absent from fetal human gonocytes, the candidate target cell for all types of TGCTs. Thus, rather than a tumorigenesis-promoting loss of pRB, the lack of pRB in TGCTs likely reflects its developmental control. Widespread expression of p15INK4b, found in normal testes, was preserved in TGCTs. In contrast, p16INK4a was lost or reduced in large subsets of TGCTs. CDK4 was expressed in normal spermatogonia, CIS, and invasive TGCTs, as was serine795-phosphorylated pRB. Our data on expression of pRB support the plausible origin of TGCTs from fetal gonocytes, and the serine795 phosphorylation demonstrates that the cyclin D-dependent kinases are active, and neutralize pRB in spermatogonia and in those TGCTs that express pRB. We hope that this study will inspire further immunohistochemical applications of phosphospecific antibodies in pathology, and examination of the RB pathway defects in relation to curability of TGCTs.
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PMID:Deregulation of the RB pathway in human testicular germ cell tumours. 1275 35

Cdc37 is a co-chaperone protein that recruits several immature client kinases to Hsp90 for proper folding. Cdc37 up-regulation is a common early event in localized human prostate cancer. Although targeted overexpression in mice leads to prostate epithelial cell hyperplasia, the effect of Cdc37 dysregulation in human prostate cells is unclear. In this study, we examine the role of Cdc37 in the growth regulation of normal prostate epithelial cells using a unique human model system. We demonstrate that Cdc37 overexpression drives proliferation, whereas loss of Cdc37 function arrests growth and leads to apoptosis. With increased Cdc37 expression, molecular analysis of Cdc37 client pathways demonstrates enhanced Raf-1 activity, greater Cdk4 levels, and reduced expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16/CDKN2. To further investigate these downstream pathways, enhanced Raf-1 or Cdk4 activities were selectively induced in human prostate epithelial cells. Raf-1 activation inhibited proliferation and generated an enlarged, flattened morphology. Induction of Cdk4 activity using cyclin D1 overexpression, however, was sufficient to promote proliferation. These data indicate that Cdc37 induces proliferation and is critical for survival in human prostate epithelial cells. These alterations in cell division and survival may be important in the development and progression of early prostate cancer.
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PMID:Cdc37 enhances proliferation and is necessary for normal human prostate epithelial cell survival. 1290 40

The p16 (CDKN2a/INK4a) gene is an important tumor-suppressor gene, involved in the p16/cyclin-dependent kinase/retinoblastoma gene pathway of cell cycle control. The p16 protein is considered to be a negative regulator of the pathway. The gene encodes an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6, which regulate the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma gene and the G1 to S phase transition of the cell cycle. In the present study, p16 gene promoter hypermethylation patterns and p16 protein expression were analyzed in 100 consecutive untreated cases of primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by methylation-specific PCR and immunohistochemical staining. The p16 promoter hypermethylation and apparent loss of p16 protein expression were detected in 27% and 74% of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, respectively. By chi(2) test, history of alcohol or tobacco use was significantly correlated with the loss of p16 protein expression (P =.005 and.05, respectively). When patient follow-up data were correlated with various clinical and molecular parameters, tumor size and nodal and clinical stage were the strongest prognostic predictors for disease-free survival (tumor recurrence) and for cause-specific and overall survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Neither p16 promoter hypermethylation nor apparent loss of p16 protein expression appears to be an independent prognostic factor, although loss of p16 protein may be used to predict overall patient survival in early-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
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PMID:The p16 (CDKN2a/INK4a) tumor-suppressor gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a promoter methylation and protein expression study in 100 cases. 1367 59

Chromosomal numerical aberrations (CNAs), particularly regional amplifications and deletions, are a hallmark of solid tumor genomes. These genomic alterations carry the potential to convey etiologic and clinical significance by virtue of their clonality within a tumor cell population, their distinctive patterns in relation to tumor staging, and their recurrence across different tumor types. In this study, we showed that array-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis of genome-wide CNAs can classify tumors on the basis of differing etiologies and provide mechanistic insights to specific biological processes. In a RAS-induced p19(Arf-/-) mouse model that experienced accelerated melanoma formation after UV exposure, array-CGH analysis was effective in distinguishing phenotypically identical melanomas that differed solely by previous UV exposure. Moreover, classification by array-CGH identified key CNAs unique to each class, including amplification of cyclin-dependent kinase 6 in UV-treated cohort, a finding consistent with our recent report that UVB targets components of the p16(INK4a)-cyclin-dependent kinase-RB pathway in melanoma genesis (K. Kannan, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 21: 2003). These results are the first to establish the utility of array-CGH as a means of etiology-based tumor classification in genetically defined cancer-prone models.
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PMID:Array comparative genome hybridization for tumor classification and gene discovery in mouse models of malignant melanoma. 1450 Mar 67

Dysregulation of cell cycle is important in oncogenesis. We analyzed the inactivation of the INK4 family CKI/CDK/RB pathway by gene promoter hypermethylation in leukemogenesis. The methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) with primers for methylated (M-MSP) and unmethylated (U-MSP) alleles of the p15, p16, p18, and RB genes was used to study five leukemic cell lines, 50 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 25 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) samples. None of the leukemic cell lines showed p18 and RB methylation. p15 was methylated in Raji, while p16 was methylated in U937 and Raji. In NB4 and Jurkat, both alleles of p15 and p16 appeared to be deleted. At diagnosis, p15 methylation occurred in 29 (58%) AML patients, and 10 (40.0%) ALL patients. p16 methylation occurred in two (4%) AML and two (8%) ALL patients. Only one each of AML and ALL patients had concurrent p15 and p16 methylation. None of the patients had methylation of p18 or RB. In AML, p15 methylation was associated with M2 subtype ( p=0.018). Patients with and without p15 methylation had similar complete remission (CR) rates and projected 5-year overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS). Therefore, methylation inactivation of the INK4/CDK/RB pathway in leukemia involved primarily p15 and occasionally p16, but not p18 or RB. In AML, p15 gene methylation was associated with the M2 subtype, but was not prognostic for CR, OS, or DFS.
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PMID:Epigenetic inactivation of INK4/CDK/RB cell cycle pathway in acute leukemias. 1451 84

Although cyclin D2 mRNA synthesis precedes gonadotropin-induced DNA synthesis in quiescent granulosa cells in culture, it is unclear whether a similar mechanism exists for the granulosa cells of growing preantral follicles in cyclic animals. The objective was to evaluate whether the synthesis of cyclin D2 protein was a prerequisite for FSH-induced DNA synthesis in the granulosa cells of intact preantral follicles of cyclic hamsters. Preantral follicles from cyclic hamsters were cultured in the presence or absence of FSH, and cell cycle parameters were examined. FSH stimulated cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-4 activity by 2 h and DNA synthesis by 4 h without altering the levels of cyclin D2 in the granulosa cells. The FSH effect was mimicked by epidermal growth factor administered in vivo. Although FSH increased the levels of cyclin D2 mRNA, it also stimulated the degradation of cyclin D2 as well as p27(Kip1) and p19(INK4) proteins. FSH activation of CDK4 was mediated by cAMP and ERK-1/2. In contrast to granulosa cells in intact follicles, FSH or cAMP significantly increased cyclin D2 protein levels in cultured granulosa cells but failed to induce DNA synthesis. Collectively, these data suggest that granulosa cells of preantral follicles, which are destined to enter the S phase during the estrous cycle, contain necessary amounts of cyclin D2 and other G1 phase components. FSH stimulation results in the formation and activation of the cyclin D2/CDK4 complex leading to DNA synthesis. This mechanism may be necessary for rapid movement of follicles from preantral to antral stages during the short duration of the murine estrous cycle.
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PMID:Follicle stimulating hormone-induced DNA synthesis in the granulosa cells of hamster preantral follicles involves activation of cyclin-dependent kinase-4 rather than cyclin d2 synthesis. 1456 38

p16(INK4a) (hereafter referred to as p16), a major cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor, is the product of a tumor-suppressor gene that has been found inactivated in different cancer types. In the present study, we sought to investigate the role of p16 in apoptosis induced by ultraviolet light (the most important etiological cause of skin cancer) and cisplatin (an anticancer DNA damaging agent). It is clearly shown that p16-compromised osteosarcoma U2OS cell line and p16-/- mouse embryo fibroblasts are sensitive to UV-induced apoptosis, as compared to their respective isogenic p16-expressing cells (EH1, EH2) and p16 +/+, indicating that p16 protects cells from undergoing apoptosis in response to UV light. Importantly, this reduction in UV-mediated apoptosis was associated with downregulation of the proapoptotic Bax protein, with no effect on Bcl-2 expression, suggesting that this antiapoptotic role of p16 is mediated via the intrinsic-mitochondrial pathway. On the other hand, p16 sensitized cells to cisplatin-mediated apoptosis through Bcl-2 decline. Interestingly, only proliferating but not G1-arrested EH1 cells underwent apoptosis in response to the anticancer drug. These novel findings provide further insight into the role of p16 in carcinogenesis, and has potential implications for future therapy strategies.
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PMID:The tumor suppressor p16(INK4a) gene is a regulator of apoptosis induced by ultraviolet light and cisplatin. 1471 25


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