Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.13 (protein kinase C)
 49,245 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Curcumin, which is a widely used dietary pigment and spice, has been demonstrated to be an effective inhibitor of tumor promotion in mouse skin carcinogenesis. We report that curcumin induces cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation, characteristics of apoptosis, in immortalized mouse embryo fibroblast NIH 3T3 erb B2 oncogene-transformed NIH 3T3, mouse sarcoma S180, human colon cancer cell HT-29, human kidney cancer cell 293, and human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep G2 cells, but not in primary culture of mouse embryonic fibroblast C3H 10T1/2, rat embryonic fibroblast, and human foreskin fibroblast cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Many cellular and biochemical effects of curcumin in mouse fibroblast cells have been reported, such as inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) activity induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate treatment, inhibition of tyrosine protein kinase activity, and inhibition of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism. Treatment of NIH 3T3 cells with the PKC inhibitor staurosporine, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A, and the AA metabolism inhibitor quinacrine induces apoptotic cell death. These results suggest that, in some immortalized and transformed cells, blocking the cellular signal transduction might trigger the induction of apoptosis.
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PMID:Curcumin induces apoptosis in immortalized NIH 3T3 and malignant cancer cell lines. 884 27

Tumor promotion/progression is known to be due in part to increased signaling through a variety of mitogenic pathways, including protein kinase C (PKC). To determine whether increased PKC activity could play a role in promotion and progression of renal cancer, we monitored PKC activity in normal and progressively transformed renal neoplasias from Eker rats. Eker rats carry a defect in the tumor suppressor TSC2 gene that predisposes them to renal carcinoma, whereas additional factors influence tumor promotion/progression in accordance with a "two-hit" model. We used the phosphorylation of adducins at Ser-660, a known PKC phosphorylation site, as a reporter for endogenous PKC activity. In normal proximal tubules, total adducin levels (measured with a phosphorylation state-insensitive antibody) were relatively high, whereas pSer660-adducin (measured with a phosphorylation state-sensitive antibody) levels were very low. In comparison, in renal carcinomas, total adducin levels were decreased, and pSer-660-adducin levels were increased. Changes in phosphorylation correlated with changes in localization. In normal tissue, alpha- and gamma-adducin are targeted to the apical and basal membranes of proximal tubules, respectively, implying unique functions for these related proteins. In early lesions (atypical tubules), differential targeting is lost, and both alpha- and gamma-adducins localize to the basal membrane. In more advanced lesions, staining in lateral membranes at cell-cell contacts becomes apparent. Furthermore, in cells that have lost basement membrane contact, plasma membrane targeting is no longer apparent. These changes in adducin expression levels, phosphorylation state, and localization parallel the increased growth potential and dedifferentiation of the progressive tumor phenotypes. These data demonstrate the utility of phosphorylation state-selective antibodies in immunohistochemical applications as reporters of endogenous PKC activity in tissue samples. We also provide the first evidence that increased PKC activity and phosphorylation of important target proteins occurs during progressive transformation in a non-phorbol ester tumor promotion model in vivo.
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PMID:Redistribution and enhanced protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation of alpha- and gamma-adducin during renal tumor progression. 960 61

Endothelins (ETs) are a family of 21-amino acid hypertensive peptides, which together with their receptors ETA and ETB are expressed in human adrenal cortex. Evidence has been provided that ETs exert a potent secretagogue effect on human adrenocortical cells, acting through both ETA and ETB receptors. Therefore, it seemed worthwhile to study the signaling cascades mediating the cortisol secretagogue effect of the two receptor subtypes. Normal adrenal glands were obtained from consenting patients undergoing unilateral nephrectomy with ipsilateral adrenalectomy for renal cancer. Dispersed zona fasciculata-reticularis (ZF/R) cells were obtained by collagenase digestion and mechanical disaggregation. The selective activation of ETA and ETB receptors was obtained by exposing dispersed cells to ET-1 plus the ETB receptor antagonist BQ-788 and to the selective ETB receptor agonist BQ-3020, respectively. ETA and ETB receptors about equally contributed to the cortisol response of dispersed ZF/R cells to ETs. The phospholipase (PL) C inhibitor U-73122 abolished ETA-mediated secretory response, but only partially prevented the ETB-mediated one. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin and the protein kinase (PK) C inhibitor calphostin-C significantly blunted the secretory responses ensuing from the activation of both receptor subtypes, while the Ca(2+)-channel blocker nifedipine was ineffective. The ETB receptor-, but not the ETA receptor-mediated cortisol response was partially reversed by the cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor indomethacin, which when added together with U-73122 abolished it. The inhibitors of adenylate cyclase, PKA, tyrosine kinase and lipoxygenase did not affect the secretory response to the activation of either receptor subtype. ETA-receptor activation raised inositol triphosphate (IP3) production from dispersed ZF/R cells, while ETB-receptor stimulation enhanced both IP3 and prostaglandin-E(2) production. Collectively, our findings indicate that ETs stimulate cortisol secretion from human ZF/R cells, acting through ETA receptors exclusively coupled with PLC/PKC-dependent pathway and ETB receptors coupled with both PLC/PKC- and COX-dependent cascades.
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PMID:Signaling pathways involved in the A and B receptor-mediated cortisol secretagogue effect of endothelins in the human adrenal cortex. 1117 11

Evidence has been provided that the 21-amino acid hypertensive peptide endothelin (ET)-1 exerts a potent secretagogue effect on human adrenocortical zona glomerulosa (ZG), acting through two receptor subtypes, called ET(A) and ET(B), the signaling mechanism(s) of which has (have) not yet been investigated. Collagenase dispersed human ZG cells were obtained from normal adrenals of patients undergoing nephrectomy/adrenalectomy for renal cancer. The selective ET(A)- and ET(B)-receptor activation was obtained by exposing dispersed cells to ET-1 plus the ET(B)-receptor antagonist BQ-788 and to the ET(B)-receptor agonist BQ-3020, respectively. The phospholipase (PL) C inhibitor U-73122 abolished ET(A) receptor-mediated secretory response, but only partially prevented the ET(B) receptor-mediated one. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin, the calmodulin inhibitor W-7 and the protein kinase (PK) C inhibitor calphostin-C significantly blunted the secretory responses ensuing from the activation of both receptor subtypes. When added together, calphostin-C and wortmannin or W-7 abolished ET(A)-mediated secretory response, but only decreased ET(B)-mediated one. The ET(B) receptor-, but not the ET(A) receptor-mediated aldosterone response was partially reversed by the cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor indomethacin, which when added together with U-73122 abolished it. ET(A)-receptor activation raised inositol triphosphate (IP(3)) production from dispersed ZG cells, while ET(B)-receptor stimulation enhanced both IP(3) and prostaglandin-E(2) production. Collectively, our findings indicate that ETs stimulate aldosterone secretion from human ZG cells, acting through ET(A) receptors exclusively coupled to PLC/PKC-dependent pathway and ET(B) receptors coupled to both PLC/PKC- and COX-dependent cascades.
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PMID:Mechanisms transducing the aldosterone secretagogue signal of endothelins in the human adrenal cortex. 1183 7

Vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF), the critical molecule in tumor angiogenesis, is regulated by different stimuli, such as hypoxia and oncogenes, and also by growth factors. Previously we have shown that in AsPC-1 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells, insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR) regulates VPF/VEGF expression. Insulin receptor substrate-1 and -2 (IRS-1 and IRS-2), two major downstream molecules of IGF-1R, are known to be important in the genesis of diabetes. In this study, we have defined a new role of IRS in angiogenesis. Both of the IRS proteins modulate VPF/VEGF expression in pancreatic cancer cells by different mechanistic pathways. The Sp1-dependent VPF/VEGF transcription is regulated mainly by IRS-2. Protein kinase C-zeta (PKC-zeta) plays a central role in VPF/VEGF expression and acts as a switching element. Furthermore, we have also demonstrated that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway, but not the Ras pathway, is a downstream event of IRS proteins for VPF/VEGF expression in AsPC-1 cells. Interestingly, like renal cancer cells, in AsPC-1 cells PKC-zeta leads to direct Sp1-dependent VPF/VEGF transcription; in addition, it also promotes a negative feedback loop to IRS-2 that decreases the association of IRS-2/IGF-1R and IRS-2/p85. Taken together, our results show that in AsPC-1 pancreatic carcinoma cells, Sp1-dependent VPF/VEGF transcription is controlled by IGF-1R signaling through IRS-2 proteins and modulated by a negative feedback loop of PKC-zeta to IRS-2. Our data also suggest that IRS proteins, which are known to play crucial roles in IGF-1R signaling, are also important mediators for tumor angiogenesis.
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PMID:Role of insulin receptor substrates and protein kinase C-zeta in vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor expression in pancreatic cancer cells. 1460 96

NALP1 (also called DEFCAP, NAC, CARD7) has been shown to play a central role in the activation of inflammatory caspases and processing of pro-IL1b (pro-interleukin-1b). Previous studies showed that NALP1 is highly expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In the present study, we report that expression of NALP1 is absent from CD34+ haematopoietic blast cells, and its levels are upregulated upon differentiation of CD34+ cells into granulocytes and to a lesser extent into monocytes. In peripheral blood cells, the highest levels of NALP1 were observed in CD3+ (T-lymphocytes), CD15+ (granulocytes) and CD14+ (monocytes) cell populations. Notably, the expression of NALP1 was significantly increased in the bone marrow blast cell population of some patients with acute leukaemia, but not among tissue samples from thyroid and renal cancer. A search for consensus sites within the NALP1 promoter revealed a sequence for CREB (cAMP-response-element-binding protein) that was required for transcriptional activity. Moreover, treatment of TF1 myeloid leukaemia cells with protein kinase C and protein kinase A activators induced CREB phosphorylation and upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of NALP1. Conversely, ectopic expression of a dominant negative form of CREB in TF1 cells blocked the transcriptional activity of the NALP1 promoter and significantly reduced the expression of NALP1. Thus NALP1 is transcriptionally regulated by CREB in myeloid cells, a mechanism that may contribute to modulate the response of these cells to pro-inflammatory stimuli.
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PMID:NALP1 is a transcriptional target for cAMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB) in myeloid leukaemia cells. 1528 19

Cilia are specialized organelles that play an important role in several biological processes, including mechanosensation, photoperception, and osmosignaling. Mutations in proteins localized to cilia have been implicated in a growing number of human diseases. In this study, we demonstrate that the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein (pVHL) is a ciliary protein that controls ciliogenesis in kidney cells. Knockdown of pVHL impeded the formation of cilia in mouse inner medullary collecting duct 3 kidney cells, whereas the expression of pVHL in VHL-negative renal cancer cells rescued the ciliogenesis defect. Using green fluorescent protein-tagged end-binding protein 1 to label microtubule plus ends, we found that pVHL does not affect the microtubule growth rate but is needed to orient the growth of microtubules toward the cell periphery, a prerequisite for the formation of cilia. Furthermore, pVHL interacts with the Par3-Par6-atypical PKC complex, suggesting a mechanism for linking polarity pathways to microtubule capture and ciliogenesis.
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PMID:The von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein controls ciliogenesis by orienting microtubule growth. 1710 96

Kidney samples of male Fischer 344 (F-344) rats fed a carcinogenic dose of OTA over 7 days, 21 days and 12 months were analysed for various cell signalling proteins known to be potentially involved in chemical carcinogenicity. OTA was found to increase the phosphorylation of atypical-PKC. This was correlated with a selective downstream activation of the MAP-kinase extracellular regulated kinases isoforms 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and of their substrates ELK1/2 and p90RSK. Moreover, analysis of effectors acting upstream of PKC indicated a possible mobilisation of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (lGFr) and phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1) system. An increased histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymatic activity associated with enhanced HDAC3 protein expression was also observed. These findings are potentially relevant with respect to the understanding of OTA nephrocarcinogenicity. HDAC-induced gene silencing has previously been shown to play a role in tumour development. Furthermore, PKC and the MEK-ERK MAP-kinase pathways are known to play important roles in cell proliferation, cell survival, anti-apoptotic activity and renal cancer development.
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PMID:MAPK-ERK activation in kidney of male rats chronically fed ochratoxin A at a dose causing a significant incidence of renal carcinoma. 1765 72

Cancer is an increasing and major problem after solid organ transplantation. In part, the increased cancer risk is associated with the use of immunosuppressive agents, especially calcineurin inhibitors. We propose that the effect of calcineurin inhibitors on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) leads to an angiogenic milieu that favors tumor growth. Here, we used 786-0 human renal cancer cells to investigate the effect of cyclosporine (CsA) on VEGF expression. Using a full-length VEGF promoter-luciferase construct, we found that CsA markedly induced VEGF transcriptional activation through the protein kinase C (PKC) signaling pathway, specifically involving PKC zeta and PKC delta isoforms. Moreover, CsA promoted the association of PKC zeta and PKC delta with the transcription factor Sp1 as observed by immunoprecipitation assays. Using promoter deletion constructs, we found that CsA-mediated VEGF transcription was primarily Sp1 dependent. Furthermore, CsA-induced and PKC-Sp1-mediated VEGF transcriptional activation was partially inhibited by von Hippel-Lindau protein. CsA also promoted the progression of human renal tumors in vivo, wherein VEGF is overexpressed. Finally, to evaluate the in vivo significance of CsA-induced VEGF overexpression in terms of post-transplantation tumor development, we injected CT26 murine carcinoma cells (known to form angiogenic tumors) into mice with fully MHC mismatched cardiac transplants. We observed that therapeutic doses of CsA increased tumor size and VEGF mRNA expression and also enhanced tumor angiogenesis. However, coadministration of a blocking anti-VEGF antibody inhibited this CsA-mediated tumor growth. Collectively, these findings define PKC-mediated VEGF transcriptional activation as a key component in the progression of CsA-induced post-transplantation cancer.
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PMID:Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor and the development of post-transplantation cancer. 1863 21

The high incidence of cancer and its aggressive progression is a common and major problem in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy. The calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) may have protumorigenic effects and can promote the overexpression of several molecules inducing tumor growth. We have recently demonstrated that CNIs can mediate the transcriptional activation of the angiogenic cytokine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and promote a rapid progression of human renal cancer. Here, we investigated whether the CNI cyclosporine (CsA) and the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin (RAPA) could alter the mRNA stability of VEGF in 786-0 and Caki-1 renal cancer cells. Following actinomycin D treatment, we observed that CsA increased, whereas RAPA decreased the VEGF mRNA stability as observed by real time PCR. It is established that the mRNA-binding protein HuR may play a critical role in VEGF mRNA stability. By using HuR-siRNA, we found that the knockdown of HuR significantly decreased the CNI-induced VEGF mRNA stability. By Western blot analysis, it has been observed that CNI treatment induced the translocation of HuR from the nucleus to the cytoplasm; CNIs also induced the association between HuR and PKC-delta and promoted the phosphorylation of HuR. Finally, we found that the inhibition of PKC-delta using a dominant negative plasmid significantly decreased the CsA-induced cytoplasmic translocation of HuR and VEGF mRNA stability. Together, targeting the pathways that promote CNI-induced transcription as well as the mRNA stability of VEGF might serve as novel therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of cancer in immunosuppressed patients.
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PMID:Altered VEGF mRNA stability following treatments with immunosuppressive agents: implications for cancer development. 2055 20


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