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Query: EC:2.7.11.1 (
protein kinase
)
81,284
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Angiogenesis, the formation of new microvasculature by capillary sprouting, is crucial for tumour development. Hypoxic regions of solid tumours produce the powerful and directly acting angiogenic protein
VEGF
/VPF (vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor). We now investigate the signal transduction pathway involved in hypoxic induction of
VEGF
expression. Hypoxia is known to induce a tyrosine kinase cascade that results in the activation of nitrogen-fixation genes in Rhizobium meliloti, and activation of tyrosine kinases is critical in signalling triggered by growth factors and ultraviolet light. We show here that genistein, an inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinase, blocks
VEGF
induction. Hypoxia increases the kinase activity of pp60c-src and its phosphorylation on tyrosine 416 but does not activate Fyn or Yes. Expression of either a dominant-negative mutant form of c-Src or of
Raf-1
markedly reduces
VEGF
induction.
VEGF
induction by hypoxia in c-src(-) cells is impaired, although there is a compensatory activation of Fyn. Our results provide an insight into hypoxia-triggered intracellular signalling, define
VEGF
as a new downstream target for c-SRC, and suggest a role for c-SRc in promoting angiogenesis.
...
PMID:Hypoxic induction of human vascular endothelial growth factor expression through c-Src activation. 754 Jul 25
The best studied of the endothelial cell specific growth factors,
VEGF
, is present in alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells, in vascular smooth muscle cells, and in macrophages. The gene encoding
VEGF
is abundantly present in lung tissue and is induced by short-term and long-term hypoxia, as well as by prostacyclin, prostaglandin E2, and cyclic AMP. In the case of prostaglandin-stimulated gene upregulation
protein kinase A
(
PKA
) is involved. Suramin, an inhibitor of growth factor receptor binding inhibits the development of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats. Further evidence is necessary to link
VEGF
with pulmonary hypertensive vascular remodeling. This requires the development of antibodies directed against
VEGF
or against
VEGF
receptors and gene transfection or antisense strategies.
...
PMID:Vascular endothelial growth factor in pulmonary hypertension. 890 25
Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, occurs during development, wound healing and cancer and involves stages that orchestrate a network of cooperative interactions. Peptide growth factors and extracellular matrix (ECM) components are two major groups of angiogenesis mediators. Among the different ECM proteins, collagens have been well-associated with in vivo angiogenesis. Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) grown in 3-D collagen gels we show that: (1) HUVEC do not survive well in 3-D collagen gels due to rapid induction of apoptosis. (2)
VEGF
, a potent in vivo angiogenic factor, fails to induce tube formation. (3) PMA was effective in inducing tube formation and survival in HUVEC dispersed in 3-D collagen gels, activating MAP kinase, phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI-3-kinase) and Akt/PKB (protein kinase B) pathways. (4)
VEGF
was effective in preventing PMA-induced tube-like structure regression after PMA-withdrawal by (5) activating the mitogen activated
protein kinase
(MAPK), rather than the Akt/PKB, signaling pathway.
...
PMID:Distinct signal transduction pathways are utilized during the tube formation and survival phases of in vitro angiogenesis. 981 53
KDR/FIk-1 tyrosine kinase, one of the two
VEGF
receptors induces mitogenesis and differentiation of vascular endothelial cells. We have previously reported that a major target molecule of KDR/Flk-1 kinase is PLC-gamma, and that
VEGF
induces activation of MAP kinase, mainly mediated by protein kinase C (PKC) in the NIH3T3 cells overexpressing KDR/FIk-1 (Takahashi and Shibuya, 1997). However, the signal transduction initiated from
VEGF
in endothelial cells remains to be elucidated. In primary sinusoidal endothelial cells which showed strictly
VEGF
-dependent growth, we found that
VEGF
stimulated the activation of
Raf-1
-MEK-MAP kinase cascade. To our surprise, an important regulator, Ras was not efficiently activated to a significant level in response to
VEGF
. Consistent with this, dominant-negative Ras did not block the
VEGF
-induced phosphorylation of MAP kinase. On the other hand, PKC-specific inhibitors severely reduced
VEGF
-dependent phosphorylation of MEK, activation of MAP kinase and subsequent DNA synthesis. A potent PI3 kinase inhibitor, Wortmannin, could not inhibit either of them. These results suggest that in primary endothelial cells,
VEGF
-induced activation of Raf-MEK-MAP kinase and DNA synthesis are mainly mediated by PKC-dependent pathway, much more than by Ras-dependent or PI3 kinase-dependent pathway.
...
PMID:VEGF activates protein kinase C-dependent, but Ras-independent Raf-MEK-MAP kinase pathway for DNA synthesis in primary endothelial cells. 1032 68
Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), also called fibroblast growth factor-7, is widely known as a paracrine growth and differentiation factor that is produced by mesenchymal cells and has been thought to act specifically on epithelial cells. Here it is shown to affect a new cell type, the microvascular endothelial cell. At subnanomolar concentrations KGF induced in vivo neovascularization in the rat cornea. In vitro it was not effective against endothelial cells cultured from large vessels, but did act directly on those cultured from small vessels, inducing chemotaxis with an ED50 of 0.02-0.05 ng/ml, stimulating proliferation and activating mitogen activated
protein kinase
(MAPK). KGF also helped to maintain the barrier function of monolayers of capillary but not aortic endothelial cells, protecting against hydrogen peroxide and vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (
VEGF
/VPF) induced increases in permeability with an ED50 of 0.2-0.5 ng/ml. These newfound abilities of KGF to induce angiogenesis and to stabilize endothelial barriers suggest that it functions in microvascular tissue as it does in epithelial tissues to protect them against mild insults and to speed their repair after major damage.
...
PMID:Keratinocyte growth factor induces angiogenesis and protects endothelial barrier function. 1034 Dec 22
Vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/
VEGF
), a multifunctional cytokine, is regulated by different factors including degree of cell differentiation, hypoxia, and certain oncogenes namely, ras and src. The up-regulation of VPF/
VEGF
expression by Ras has been found to be through both transcription and mRNA stability. The present study investigates a novel pathway whereby Ras promotes the transcription of VPF/
VEGF
by activating
protein kinase
Czeta (PKCzeta). The Ras-mediated overexpression of VPF/
VEGF
was also found to be inhibited by using the antisense or the dominant-negative mutant of PKCzeta. In co-transfection assays, by overexpressing oncogenic Ha-Ras (12 V) and PKCzeta, there was an additive effect up to 4-fold in activation of Sp1-mediated VPF/
VEGF
transcription. It has been shown through electrophoretic mobility shift assay that Ras promoted the PKCzeta-induced binding of Sp1 to the VPF/
VEGF
promoter. In the presence of PDK-1, a major activating kinase for PKC, the Ras-mediated activation of VPF/
VEGF
promoter through PKCzeta was further increased, suggesting that PKCzeta can serve as an effector for both Ras and PDK-1. In other experiments, with the use of a dominant-negative mutant of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, the activation of VPF/
VEGF
promoter through Ras, PDK-1, and PKCzeta was completely repressed, indicating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase as an important component of this pathway. Taken together, these data elucidate the signaling mechanism of Ras-mediated VPF/
VEGF
transcriptional activation through PKCzeta and also provide insight into PKCzeta and Sp1-dependent transcriptional regulation of VPF/
VEGF
.
...
PMID:Role of protein kinase Czeta in Ras-mediated transcriptional activation of vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor expression. 1106 Mar 1
Thyroid nodule genesis may be considered as an amplification of thyroid heterogeneity due to genetic and/or epigenetic mechanisms. We classified the thyroid nodules in five types with distinct histological features: hyperplastic, neoplastic, colloid, cystic and thyroiditic nodules. Hyperplastic: Thyrocyte proliferation is under the control of TSH but several other paracrine and autocrine factors are secreted by follicular cells, the stromal apparatus and the lymphocytes, which are implicated in initiation and perpetuation of thyroid hyperplasia. Growth occurs mainly through TSHR, cAMP and
PKA
. Constitutive cAMP overproduction has been shown to be due to point mutation of the TSHR or Gs protein, producing overgrowth and hyperfunction. Neoplastic: Several activated oncogenes have been identified in thyroid malignancies. Oncogenes relevant to the thyroid carcinogenesis are: mutated TSHR and gsp (constitutive activation of cAMP); TRK (receptor for NGF); RET/PTC (phosphorylation of tyrosine kinase receptor)--an isoform of this oncogene is induced by radiation: ras (it encodes Gs proteins transducing mitogenic signals); and c-MET (receptor for hepatocyte growth factor). The evolution of a differentiated thyroid cancer towards an undifferentiated cancer is due to a mutation of a family of proteins (i.e., p53), which acts as a brake, preventing the genomic instability of cancer. It is suggested that a tumor initiates by RET or ras and possibly progresses--as a result of additional mutations and by p53 mutation--to anaplastic carcinoma. Colloid: Flattening of the epithelium and dilatation of follicles containing viscous material--made up by a concentrated solution of thyroglobulin (hTg)--is the characteristic of the colloid nodule. A defect of intraluminal reabsorption of hTg has been suggested but not proven. Experimentally, a load of iodine is able to change thyroid hyperplasia to a colloid feature; however, a load of iodine is rarely found in the clinical history of patients. A new clue to the pathogenesis comes from the finding that a relevant part of the colloid (10-20%) is made up of insoluble globules, where hTg is compacted in a polymeric form. It is suggested that stocking hTg into globules is defective in colloid nodules, leading to enormous enlargement of the follicle. Cystic: It is estimated that between 15 and 40% of thyroid nodules are partly or entirely cystic. The 'true cyst' is rare; most of the so-called cystic nodules are 'pseudocysts', which follow necrosis and colliquation. Necrosis issues as an imbalance between growth and the precisely regulated process of angiogenesis. More recently, the
VEGF
/VPF has been found to be at the origin of recent and recurrent cysts. Immunotoxic and apoptotic mechanisms have also been suggested. Chemical analysis of cystic fluid showed a 'denatured' and 'serum-like' pattern suggesting different mechanisms in the pathogenesis of the pseudocystic thyroid nodules. Thyroiditic: Nodular lymphocytic thyroiditis (NLT) includes two different entities: 1) lymphocyte thyroiditis growing as a nodule in a hyperplastic or normal gland, and 2) lymphocyte thyroiditis associated in the same nodule with other nodular diseases of the thyroid: papillary thyroid carcinoma and lymphoma have been found to be associated to chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis.
...
PMID:Pathogenesis of thyroid nodules: histological classification? 1123 84
Endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) is an important regulatory enzyme in the cardiovascular system catalyzing the production of NO from arginine. Multiple protein kinases including Akt/PKB,
cAMP-dependent protein kinase
(
PKA
), and the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activate eNOS by phosphorylating Ser-1177 in response to various stimuli. During
VEGF
signaling in endothelial cells, there is a transient increase in Ser-1177 phosphorylation coupled with a decrease in Thr-495 phosphorylation that reverses over 10 min. PKC signaling in endothelial cells inhibits eNOS activity by phosphorylating Thr-495 and dephosphorylating Ser-1177 whereas
PKA
signaling acts in reverse by increasing phosphorylation of Ser-1177 and dephosphorylation of Thr-495 to activate eNOS. Both phosphatases PP1 and PP2A are associated with eNOS. PP1 is responsible for dephosphorylation of Thr-495 based on its specificity for this site in both eNOS and the corresponding synthetic phosphopeptide whereas PP2A is responsible for dephosphorylation of Ser-1177. Treatment of endothelial cells with calyculin selectively blocks
PKA
-mediated dephosphorylation of Thr-495 whereas okadaic acid selectively blocks PKC-mediated dephosphorylation of Ser-1177. These results show that regulation of eNOS activity involves coordinated signaling through Ser-1177 and Thr-495 by multiple protein kinases and phosphatases.
...
PMID:Coordinated control of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase phosphorylation by protein kinase C and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. 1129 21
The differential expression of hundreds of tightly, transcriptionally controlled genes in isolated human colorectal cancer and respective normal mucosa from two patients was analyzed by the cDNA macroarray technique. mRNA prepared from the colorectal cancer tumors was compared with 588 genes spotted onto the filter. Case A showed down-regulation of the expression of cell-cycle-related genes including cyclins,
cyclin-dependent kinase
(
CDK
) 2, and CDK-activating kinase, as compared with normal mucosa from the same patient. The tumors showed up-regulation of expression of angiogenesis-related genes such as type II cytoskeletal 8 keratin, metalloproteinase subtypes,
VEGF
, and bFGF, to over 5-fold the levels in normal mucosa. Thus, colorectal carcinoma tissues are characterized by the upregulation of molecules related with angiogenesis. These results suggest that angiogenesis-related molecules are suitable candidates for target-based therapies for colorectal cancer patients. In case B, the largest difference in expression between the tumor and mucosal tissues was observed in the MMP-1 gene. In contrast to the first case, there was no increase in expression of angiogenesis-related molecules or decrease in expression of cell-cycle-regulatory molecules. The expression profile was quite different between these two patients. This approach may eventually provide a mean of selecting target-based drugs in individual colon cancer patients.
...
PMID:Upregulated expression of angiogenesis genes and down regulation of cell cycle genes in human colorectal cancer tissue determined by cDNA macroarray. 1129 27
Angiogenesis is reportedly enhanced by prostaglandins (PGs). In the present experiment, we tested whether or not COX-2 and adenylate cyclase/
protein kinase A
(AC/
PKA
)-dependent
VEGF
induction enhanced angiogenesis in this model. Angiogenesis was enhanced by topical injection of human recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The enhanced angiogenesis by bFGF was inhibited by indomethacin or selective COX-2 inhibitors, NS398, nimesulide, and JTE-522. Topical daily injections of 8-bromo-cAMP enhanced angiogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. Forskolin, an activator of AC, also facilitated angiogenesis in a dose-dependent manner, as did amrinone, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase.
VEGF
induction was confirmed by the increased levels in the fluids in the sponge matrix after topical injection of 8-bromo-cAMP. Immunohistochemical investigation further revealed the
VEGF
-expressed cells in the sponge granulation tissues to be fibroblasts, and the intensity of positive reactions was enhanced by bFGF, 8-bromo-cAMP, forskolin, and amrinone. Angiogenesis was inhibited by indometacin or selective COX-2 inhibitors, NS-398, nimesulide, and JTE-522. In addition, angiogenesis without topical injections of the above compounds was also suppressed by SQ22,536, an inhibitor for AC. or H-89, an inhibitor for
PKA
, with concomitant reductions in
VEGF
levels. Daily topical injections of neutralizing antibody or anti-sense oligonucleotide against
VEGF
significantly suppressed angiogenesis. These results suggested that COX-2 and AC/
PKA
-dependent induction of
VEGF
certainly enhanced angiogenesis, and that pharmacological tools for controlling this signaling pathway may be able to facilitate the management of conditions involving angiogenesis.
...
PMID:Cyclooxygenase-2 and adenylate cyclase/protein kinase A signaling pathway enhances angiogenesis through induction of vascular endothelial growth factor in rat sponge implants. 1212 60
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