Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.22 (cdc2)
 8,319 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The function of the c-Abl protein tyrosine kinase is unknown. The present studies demonstrate that the antimetabolite 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) induces binding of c-Abl and p53. Ara-C treatment of cells that express wild type or a dominant negative, kinase-inactive c-Abl(K-R) was associated with formation of c-Abl-p53 complexes and increased expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21. However, down-regulation of Cdk2 by ara-C was found in cells expressing wild type c-Abl and not in cells expressing c-Abl(K-R) or those deficient in p53. Similar findings were obtained following treatment of cells with the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Cells that express the c-Abl dominant negative or are null for c-Abl exhibited partial abrogation of Cdk2 down-regulation and G1 arrest in response to MMS exposure. Cells lacking the c-abl gene also responded to ara-C and MMS with increases in p53 levels and induction of p21. These findings indicate that the cellular response to certain genotoxic drugs involves binding of c-Abl to p53 and down-regulation of Cdk2 by a c-Abl kinase/p53-dependent mechanism.
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PMID:Genotoxic drugs induce interaction of the c-Abl tyrosine kinase and the tumor suppressor protein p53. 890 Jan 10

The p21MDA6 gene product induces cell cycle arrest in p53-null human leukemic cells exposed to differentiation stimuli. We employed an HL-60 cell line stably transfected with a p21MDA6 antisense construct to compare the effects of p21MDA6 dysregulation on the response of myeloid leukemia cells to differentiating and cytotoxic agents. Antisense-expressing cells (HL-60/AS5) treated with 5 nM PMA for 24 h exhibited attenuated induction of p21MDA6 compared to empty vector controls (HL-60/V2). This phenomenon was accompanied by a reduction in the percentage of cells undergoing G1 arrest (67.6 +/- 4.7 vs 82.9 +/- 1.3; P < or = 0.01) and expressing the monocytic maturation marker cd11b (35.5 +/- 2.8 vs 50.5 +/- 2.4; P < or = 0.005). Although HL-AS5 and HL-60/V2 cells did not exhibit obvious differences in the phosphorylation status of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB), in E2F complex formation, or in p27klp1 induction following PMA exposure, inhibition of activity of cyclin-dependent kinase-2 was attenuated in the antisense-expressing line. A 24-h exposure to 5 nM PMA also reduced the cloning efficiency of HL-60/V2 cells to a significantly greater extent than HL-60/AS5 cells (ie to 30.1 +/- 7.0 vs 57.2 +/- 5.6 of controls; P < or = 0.01). In contrast to the disparate responses to PMA, HL-60/AS5 and HL-60/V2 cells treated with the antimetabolite 1-beta-D-arabinofurano-sylcytosine (Ara-C; 10 microM for 6 h) displayed equal susceptibility to G1 arrest, apoptosis, and inhibition of clonogenicity, phenomena unaccompanied by p21MDA6 and p27klp1 induction, or pRB dephosphorylation. These observations indicate that dysregulation of p21MDA6 in p53-null human myeloid leukemia cells interferes with PMA-related G1 arrest, CDK-2 inhibition, differentiation, and loss of clonogenic survival in the absence of obvious alterations in pRB phosphorylation status or E2F complex formation. They also provide functional evidence that p21MDA6 induction does not appear to be required for Ara-C-induced apoptosis, G1 arrest, or the resulting reduction in the self-renewal capacity of HL-60 cells.
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PMID:Effects of antisense p21 (WAF1/CIP1/MDA6) expression on the induction of differentiation and drug-mediated apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells (HL-60). 909 90

Neurotoxicity is one of the side-effects of the therapeutically useful antitumour agent, Ara-C (or 1-beta-d-arabinofuranosyl-cytosine, cytarabine). This agent is also reported to induce cell death of cultured neurons. In this study, we show that Ara-C-induced death of differentiating rat cerebellar granule neurons is prevented by cycloheximide at concentrations corresponding to its action in preventing protein synthesis. The death is accompanied by cleavage of the caspase substrate poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) and c-Abl-dependent activation of the stress-activated protein kinases c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38. However, c-Jun levels do not rise and the activation of the stress-activated protein kinases is not required for this form of neuronal death. Cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) activity and inappropriate cell-cycle re-entry have been implicated in some forms of death in differentiated neurons. Here we show that Ara-C-induced death of cerebellar granule neurons is prevented by an inhibitor of cdk4, whereas inhibition of cdk1, -2 and -5 mimics the death, and non-cdk4/6 cdks are inhibited by Ara-C treatment. Cdk1 and -2 are dramatically down-regulated during neuronal differentiation, and neither Ara-C nor inhibition of these cdks induces death in mature neurons. This mechanism could also play a significant role in the neurotoxicity associated with the therapeutic use of Ara-C, as cdk levels can be upregulated in stressed neurons of adult brain. We propose that the balance between cdk4/6 and cdk1/2/5 activity may determine the survival of early differentiating neurons, and that DNA-damaging agents may induce neuronal death by inhibiting cdk1/2/5 under conditions which require these activities for survival.
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PMID:The mechanism of Ara-C-induced apoptosis of differentiating cerebellar granule neurons. 1010

The majority of hematopoietic malignancies have aberrancies in the retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway. Loss in Rb function is, in most cases, a result of the phosphorylation and inactivation of Rb by the cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks), main regulators of cell cycle progression. Flavopiridol, the first cdk modulator tested in clinical trials, is a flavonoid that inhibits several cdks with evidence of cell cycle block. Other interesting preclinical features are the induction of apoptosis, promotion of differentiation, inhibition of angiogenic processes and modulation of transcriptional events. Initial clinical trials with infusional flavopiridol demonstrated activity in some patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, renal, prostate, colon and gastric carcinomas. Main side-effects were secretory diarrhea and a pro-inflammatory syndrome associated with hypotension. Phase 2 trials with infusional flavopiridol in CLL and mantle cell lymphoma, other schedules and combination with standard chemotherapies are ongoing. The second cdk modulator tested in clinical trials, UCN-01, is a potent protein kinase C inhibitor that inhibits cdk activity in vitro as well. UCN-01 blocks cell cycle progression and promotes apoptosis in hematopoietic models. Moreover, UCN-01 is able to abrogate checkpoints induced by genotoxic stress due to modulation in chk1 kinase. The first clinical trial of UCN-01 demonstrated very prolonged half-life (approximately 600 h), 100 times longer than the half-life observed in preclinical models. This effect is due to high binding affinity of UCN-01 to the human plasma protein alpha-1-acid glycoprotein. Main side-effects in this trial were headaches, nausea/vomiting, hypoxemia and hyperglycemia. Clinical activity was observed in patients with melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and leiomyosarcoma. Of interest, a patient with anaplastic large cell lymphoma refractory to high-dose chemotherapy showed no evidence of disease after 3 years of UCN-01 therapy. Trials of infusional UCN-01 in combination with Ara-C or gemcitabine in patients with acute leukemia and CLL, respectively, have commenced. In conclusion, flavopiridol and UCN-01 are cdk modulators that reach biologically active concentrations effective in modulating CDK in vitro, and show encouraging results in early clinical trials in patients with refractory hematopoietic malignancies. Although important questions remain to be answered, these positive experiences will hopefully increase the therapeutic modalities in hematological malignancies.
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PMID:Development of cyclin-dependent kinase modulators as novel therapeutic approaches for hematological malignancies. 1124 75