Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.24 (mitogen-activated protein kinase)
 95,810 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) induces scattering and morphogenesis of epithelial cells through the activation of the MET tyrosine kinase receptor. Although the activated MET receptor recruits a number of signaling proteins, little is known of the downstream signaling pathways activated by HGF/SF. In this study, we wished to examine the signaling pathway leading to activation of the ETS1 transcription factor. Using in vitro and in vivo kinase assays, we found that HGF/SF activates the ERK1 MAP kinase, leading to the phosphorylation of the threonine 38 residue of ETS1 within a putative MAP kinase phosphorylation site (PLLT38P). This threonine residue was neither phosphorylated by JNK1, nor by p38 MAP kinases and was required for the induction of transcriptional activity of ETS1 by HGF/SF. Using kinase and transcription assays, we further demonstrated that phosphorylation and activation of ETS1 occurs downstream of a RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway. The functional involvement of this pathway in HGF/SF action was demonstrated using U0126, a pharmacological inhibitor of MEK, which blocked phosphorylation and activation of ETS1, RAS-dependent transcriptional responses, cell scattering and morphogenesis. These data demonstrated that ETS1 is a downstream target of HGF/SF acting through a RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway and provides a signaling pathway leading to the regulation of gene expression by HGF/SF.
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PMID:Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor activates the ETS1 transcription factor by a RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling pathway. 1194 14

RON (Receptuer d'Origine Nantaise) is a member of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase family. RON is expressed in various cell types including macrophages, epithelial and hematopoietic cells. Its ligand, macrophage stimulating protein (MSP, also known as hepatocyte growth factor-like protein), is a multifunctional factor regulating cell growth and survival, adhesion and motility, cytokine production and phagocytosis. Accumulated data indicate that in addition to the regulation of normal cell functions, RON can be involved in cancer development and progression: (i). RON is overexpressed and constitutively active in some primary tumors and tumor cell lines; (ii). experimental mutations of RON cause oncogenic cell transformation, and (iii). RON mediates susceptibility to Friend-virus-induced erythroleukemia in mice. Constitutive activation of intracellular signaling pathways such as the PI-3 kinase/AKT, beta-catenin, MAPK and JNK pathways may underlie the molecular mechanism of RON-mediated oncogenic cell transformation. The present review describes RON-activated signaling pathways, which may play an important role in tumor formation and metastasis.
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PMID:Oncogenic signaling pathways activated by RON receptor tyrosine kinase. 1257 Jun 59

Signal transduction downstream HGF receptor (MET) activation involves multiple pathways that account for mitogenesis, motility and morphogenesis in a cell type-dependent fashion. MET receptor is aberrantly expressed in almost 100% of human osteosarcomas. We analyzed the effect of the MET receptor activation in five human osteosarcoma cell lines evaluating the levels of HGF-dependent activation of MAPK and PKB/AKT as biochemical readouts of mitogenic and invasive responses, respectively. All the cell lines tested expressed high levels of the MET proto-oncogene. Four cell lines showed activation of the MAPK cascade upon HGF stimulation, suggesting that this growth factor serves a common proliferative function in osteosarcomas. Two lines showed activation of PKB/AKT that is known to be involved in migration mediated by HGF receptor. Accordingly, cell lines where MAPK cascade was activated responded to HGF with increased proliferation, while induction and inhibition of PKB/AKT activity corresponded to acquisition or block of the invasive-motile response to HGF, respectively. Both the HGF dependent responses were reverted by the specific MET inhibitor K252a. These data show that HGF activates both the mitogen and motogen machinery in osteosarcoma cells and suggest that HGF might promote their malignant behavior by concomitant activation of different pathways and biological functions.
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PMID:Role of the MET/HGF receptor in proliferation and invasive behavior of osteosarcoma. 1270 13

Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMSs) are frequently characterized by bone marrow involvement. Recently, we reported that human RMS cells express the CXC chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) and postulated a role for the CXCR4 stromal-derived factor (SDF)-1 axis in the metastasis of RMS cells to bone marrow. Because RMS cells also express the tyrosine kinase receptor c-MET, the specific ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) that is secreted in bone marrow and lymph node stroma, we hypothesized that the c-MET-HGF axis modulates the metastatic behavior of RMS cells as well. Supporting this concept is our observation that conditioned media harvested from expanded ex vivo human bone marrow fibroblasts chemoattracted RMS cells in an HGF- and SDF-1-dependent manner. Six human alveolar and three embryonal RMS cell lines were examined. We found that although HGF, similar to SDF-1, did not affect the proliferation of RMS cells, it induced in several of them: (a) locomotion; (b) stress fiber formation; (c) chemotaxis; (d) adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cells; (e) trans-Matrigel invasion and matrix metalloproteinase secretion; and (f) phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase p42/44 and AKT. Moreover HGF, but not SDF-1, increased the survival of RMS cells exposed to radio- and chemotherapy. We also found that the more aggressive alveolar RMS cells express higher levels of c-MET than embryonal RMS cell lines and "home/seed" better into bone marrow after i.v. injection into immunocompromised mice. Because we could not find any activating mutations in the kinase region of c-MET or any evidence for HGF autocrine stimulation, we suggest that the increased response of RMS cell lines depends on overexpression of functional c-MET. We conclude that HGF regulates the metastatic behavior of c-MET-positive RMS cells, directing them to the bone marrow and lymph nodes. Signaling from the c-MET receptor may also contribute to the resistance of RMS cells to conventional treatment modalities.
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PMID:Both hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and stromal-derived factor-1 regulate the metastatic behavior of human rhabdomyosarcoma cells, but only HGF enhances their resistance to radiochemotherapy. 1463 23

The RON (recepteur d'origine nantais) receptor belongs to the MET proto-oncogene family that is implicated in the oncogenesis of the gastrointestinal epithelium. The present study aimed to determine the role of RON in regulating epithelial phenotypes in response to transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1. Expression and activation of RON in SV40-immortalized mouse intestinal epithelial MODE-K cells result in reduction of cellular sensitivities towards apoptotic signals elicited by TGF-beta1. This effect is dependent on RON expression and phosphorylation that inhibit the TGF-beta1-induced activation of caspase-3 and truncation of BAD. Among cellular signaling components, the activation of MAP kinase is critical in the RON-mediated inhibitory effect. PD98059, a specific MAP kinase inhibitor, prevented RON-mediated anti-apoptotic activities. PD98059 also prevented the inhibitory effect of RON on TGF-beta1-induced cleavage of caspase-3 and BAD. By protecting cells from apoptotic death, activated RON collaborates with TGF-beta1 in the induction of cell morphological changes with decreased E-cadherin expression and increased migration and morphogenesis. Thus, RON expression and activation modulate phenotypes of gastrointestinal epithelial cells in response to TGF-beta1 with reduced sensitivity to apoptosis and increased migration. These activities might represent a mechanism by which RON activation increases tumorigenic activities and facilitates the progression of transformed epithelial cells towards malignancy.
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PMID:Activation of the RON receptor tyrosine kinase attenuates transforming growth factor-beta1-induced apoptotic death and promotes phenotypic changes in mouse intestinal epithelial cells. 1544 77

It has been demonstrated that exposure to cocaine increases cell death in the fetal CNS. To examine the molecular mechanisms of this effect, we employed mouse oligo microarrays followed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR) to compare expressions of apoptosis-related genes in the cerebral wall of 18-day-old (E18) fetuses from cocaine-treated (20 mg/kg cocaine, s.c., b.i.d., E8th-E18th) and drug-naive (saline, s.c.) mice. Out of approximately 400 relevant genes in the arrays, 53 showed alterations in expression in cocaine-exposed fetuses. Upregulation was observed in 35 proapoptotic and 8 antiapoptotic genes; 4 proapoptotic and 6 antiapoptotic genes were down-regulated. The affected genes encode a wide range of apoptosis-related proteins, including death receptors (NTF-R1, NTF-R2, DR3, DR5, LTbeta-R, GITR, P57 TR-1) and their adaptor and regulatory proteins (MASGE-D1, TRAF-2, SIVA, MET, FLIP, FAIM, IAP1, ATFA), members of transcription regulatory pathways (JNK, NF-kappaB, P53), members of BCL-2 family of proteins (BID, BAD, BAX, BIK, NIP21, NIP3, NIX, BCL-2), DNA damage sensor (PARP-1), caspases and their substrates and regulatory proteins (caspases 8, 4, 9, and 3, ACINUS, CIDE-A, CIDE-B, GAS2), mitochondrially released factors (cytochrome c, AIF, PRG3), specific endoplasmic reticulum- and oxidative stress-associated factors (BACH2, ABL1, ALG2, CHOP), members of cell survival AKT and HSP70 pathways (PIK3GA, PTEN, HSP70, BAG1, BAG2), and others. This suggests that cocaine affects survival of developing cerebral cells via multiple apoptosis-regulating mechanisms.
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PMID:Cocaine-induced changes in the expression of apoptosis-related genes in the fetal mouse cerebral wall. 1568 Nov 17

Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, migrates through several hepatocytes before initiating a malaria infection. We have previously shown that this process induces the secretion of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) by traversed cells, which renders neighbour hepatocytes susceptible to infection. The signalling initiated by HGF through its receptor MET has multifunctional effects on various cell types. Our results reveal a major role for apoptosis protection of host cells by HGF/MET signalling on the host susceptibility to infection. Inhibition of HGF/MET signalling induces a specific increase in apoptosis of infected cells leading to a great reduction on infection. Since HGF/MET signalling is capable of protecting cells from apoptosis by using both PI3-kinase/Akt and, to a lesser extent, MAPK pathways, we determined the impact of these pathways on Plasmodium sporozoite infection. Although inhibition of either of these pathways leads to a reduction in infection, inhibition of PI3-kinase/Akt pathway caused a stronger effect, which correlated with a higher level of apoptosis in infected host cells. Altogether, the results show that the HGF/MET signalling requirement for infection is mediated by its anti-apoptotic signal effects. These results demonstrate for the first time that active inhibition of apoptosis in host cell during infection by Plasmodium is required for a successful infection.
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PMID:HGF/MET signalling protects Plasmodium-infected host cells from apoptosis. 1576 Apr 60

It has been shown that in hereditary and most sporadic colon tumours, components of the Wnt pathway are mutated. The Wnt target MET has been implicated in the development of colon cancer. Here, we show that overexpression of wild-type or a constitutively activated form of MET in colon epithelial cells leads to increased transformation irrespective of Wnt signalling. Fetal human colon epithelial cells without aberrant Wnt signalling were transfected with wild-type or mutated MET constructs. Expression of these constructs leads to increased phosphorylation of MET and its downstream targets PKB and MAPK. Upon stimulation with HGF, the expression of E-cadherin is downregulated in wild-type MET-transfected cells, whereas cells expressing mutated MET show low E-cadherin levels independent of stimulation with ligand. This implies a higher migratory propensity of these cells. Furthermore, fetal human colon epithelial cells expressing the mutated form of MET have colony-forming capacity in soft agar, while cells expressing wild-type MET show an intermediate phenotype. Subcutaneous injection of mutated MET-transfected cells in nude mice leads to the formation of tumours within 12 days in all mice injected. At this time point, mock-transfected cells do not form tumours, while wild-type MET-transfected cells form subcutaneous tumours in one out of five mice. We thus show that MET signalling can lead to increased transformation of colon epithelial cells independent of Wnt signalling and in this way could play an essential role in the onset and progression of colorectal cancer.
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PMID:MET signalling in primary colon epithelial cells leads to increased transformation irrespective of aberrant Wnt signalling. 1578 35

Following treatment with a demethylating agent, 5 of 11 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell lines showed increased expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) activator inhibitor type 2 (HAI-2/SPINT2/Bikunin), a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor that regulates HGF activity. As activating mutations in the MET proto-oncogene (the HGF receptor) cause familial RCC, we investigated whether HAI-2/SPINT2 might act as a RCC tumor suppressor gene. We found that transcriptional silencing of HAI-2 in RCC cell lines was associated with promoter region methylation and HAI-2/SPINT2 protein expression was down-regulated in 30% of sporadic RCC. Furthermore, methylation-specific PCR analysis revealed promoter region methylation in 30% (19 of 64) of clear cell RCC and 40% (15 of 38) of papillary RCC, whereas mutation analysis (in 39 RCC cell lines and primary tumors) revealed a missense substitution (P111S) in one RCC cell line. Restoration of HAI-2/SPINT2 expression in a RCC cell line reduced in vitro colony formation, but the P111S mutant had no significant effect. Increased cell motility associated with HAI-2/SPINT2 inactivation was abrogated by treatment with extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phospholipase C-gamma inhibitors, but not by an inhibitor of atypical protein kinase C. These findings are consistent with frequent epigenetic inactivation of HAI-2/SPINT2, causing loss of RCC tumor suppressor activity and implicate abnormalities of the MET pathway in clear cell and papillary sporadic RCC. This information provides opportunities to develop novel targeted approaches to the treatment of RCC.
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PMID:Tumor suppressor activity and epigenetic inactivation of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 2/SPINT2 in papillary and clear cell renal cell carcinoma. 1593 Feb 77

The MAPK signaling pathway plays a crucial role in tumorgenesis and cell proliferation in human papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Ret/PTC rearrangements, RAS and BRAF mutations, the main non-overlapping genetic alterations all leading to MAPK cascade activation, are cumulatively identified in 60-80% of PTCs. In approximately one-fourth of the cases, oncogenic background potentially contributing to MAPK activation in PTC might be different. We therefore attempted to evaluate the mutational status of genes encoding other members of RAF family known to act upstream of MAPKs, ARAF and CRAF (RAF-1). In addition we also analyzed the MET gene that encodes hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor receptor overexpressed in most of PTCs and a MAPK cascade contributor. In 129 Japanese patients with PTC, BRAF(T1799A) was detected in 65 cases (50.4%), and the remaining 64 tumor specimens were subjected to mutation analysis of kinase domains of ARAF, CRAF and MET genes, and hotspots of K- and N-RAS genes. No ARAF, CRAF, MET, K- and N-RAS mutations were revealed. Based on these observations, we concluded that despite the fact that ARAF, CRAF and MET are actively expressed, alterations of these genes are rare in PTC and unlikely to play a perceptible role in the molecular pathogenesis of this type of human malignancy.
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PMID:No evidence of ARAF, CRAF and MET mutations in BRAFT1799A negative human papillary thyroid carcinoma. 1689 65


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