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)

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO), the heat shock/stress cognate of the heat shock protein 32 (HSP32) family of proteins, is postulated to be a component of cellular defense mechanisms against oxidative stress-mediated injury. Nitric oxide (NO) is among the extensive array of stimuli that induce HO-1. The cellular signaling mechanisms that regulate the induction of HO-1 by NO are not understood. In the present study, we have demonstrated that exposure of HeLa cells to the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), results in concentration and time-dependent increase in HO-1 mRNA and activation of MAPKs: ERK (ERK1 and ERK2) and p38 pathways, but not SAPK/JNK pathway. Pre-treatment of the cells with PD98059, a selective ERK pathway inhibitor, and SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, blocked the induction of HO-1 by the NO donor in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, an increase in HO-1 mRNA level that was detected as early as 2 hrs.following SNP treatment preceded c-jun and c-fos induction. These transcription factors are downstream of SAPK/JNK pathway, and their increased expression was detected at 3hr. and 6hr. after SNP treatment. Similarly, AP-1 DNA binding activity was not increased when measured 6 hrs. after SNP treatment. ERK and p38 inhibitors also suppressed induction of HO-1 by SNAP and GSNO. The increase in HO-1 mRNA was inhibited by actinomycin D and cycloheximide, but not by NAC, and was not mimicked by the lipophilic cGMP analogue, 8-bromo-cGMP, suggesting that NO-mediated induction required de novo RNA and protein synthesis and was unrelated to cGMP and redox signaling. Collectively, the findings suggest that MAP kinase ERK and p38 pathways are involved in the NO-mediated induction of HO-1 and that SAPK/JNK pathway and increased DNA binding of AP-1 transcription factor are not involved in HO-1 gene activation by NO. A plausible mechanism by which the NO donors cause HO-1 induction may involve HO-1 gene regulation by its substrate, heme.
 ...
PMID:Nitric oxide induces heme oxygenase-1 via mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK and p38. 1087 47

Pretreatment with mild heat shock is known to protect cells from severe stress (acquired thermotolerance). Here we addressed the mechanism of this phenomenon by using primary human fibroblasts. Severe heat shock (45 degrees C, 75 min) of the fibroblasts caused cell death displaying morphological characteristics of apoptosis; however, it was caspase independent. This cell death process was accompanied by strong activation of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) and ERK2, p38, and c-Jun N-terminal (JNK) kinases. Suppression of Akt or ERK1 and -2 kinases increased cell thermosensitivity. In contrast, suppression of stress kinase JNK rendered cells thermoresistant. Development of thermotolerance was not associated with Akt or ERK1 and -2 regulation, and inhibition of these kinases did not reduce acquired thermotolerance. On the other hand, acquired tolerance to severe heat shock was associated with downregulation of JNK. Using an antisense-RNA approach, we found that accumulation of the heat shock protein Hsp72 is necessary for JNK downregulation and is critical for thermotolerance. The capability of naive cells to withstand moderate heat treatment also appears to be dependent on the accumulation of Hsp72 induced by this stress. Indeed, exposure to 45 degrees C for 45 min caused only transient JNK activation and was nonlethal, while prevention of Hsp72 accumulation prolonged JNK activation and led to massive cell death. We also found that JNK activation by UV irradiation, interleukin-1, or tumor necrosis factor was suppressed in thermotolerant cells and that Hsp72 accumulation was responsible for this effect. Hsp72-mediated suppression of JNK is therefore critical for acquired thermotolerance and may play a role in tolerance to other stresses.
 ...
PMID:Hsp72-mediated suppression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase is implicated in development of tolerance to caspase-independent cell death. 1095 79

To characterize the differentiation events that selectively target insulin-producing cells to interleukin (IL)-1beta-induced apoptosis, we studied IL-1beta signaling via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and stress-activated protein kinase in 2 pancreatic endocrine cell lines. We studied the glucagon-secreting AN-glu cell line and the insulin and the islet amyloid polypeptide-producing beta-cell line (AN-ins cells), which is derived by stable transfection of AN-glu cells with the transcription factor pancreatic duodenal homeobox factor-1. AN-ins cells were more sensitive to the cytotoxic action of IL-1beta. This increased sensitivity was not associated with a more pronounced IL-l-induced nitric oxide production in AN-ins cells, but it correlated with a more marked activation of the 3 MAPKs extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs)-1/2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 MAPK (p38). This led to increased phosphorylation of the transcription factors c-Jun, Elk-1, and ATF2 and of heat shock protein 25. Inhibition of ERK-1/2 and p38 did not prevent but aggravated IL-1beta-induced cell death. In contrast, inhibition of JNK by transfection with the dominant negative inhibitor of the JNK-binding domain prevented apoptosis in both cell types. Cell death could be elicited by overexpressing the catalytic domain of MAPK kinase kinase 1, a specific activator of JNK and nuclear factor-kappaB, which does not recruit ERK-1/2 or p38. Coactivation of ERK-1/2 with JNK did not prevent apoptosis. In conclusion, increased MAPK signaling in response to IL-1beta may represent a novel molecular marker of beta-cell differentiation. JNK inhibition represents an effective means of preventing IL-1beta-activated beta-cell destruction.
 ...
PMID:The c-Jun amino-terminal kinase pathway is preferentially activated by interleukin-1 and controls apoptosis in differentiating pancreatic beta-cells. 1096 30

Since protection of cells from stress-induced apoptosis by the heat shock protein Hsp72 involves suppression of stress kinase JNK, we suggested that Hsp72-mediated JNK inhibition might also be critical for myocardial protection from ischemia/reperfusion. Transient energy deprivation of H9c2 myogenic cells, used as an in vitro model of myocardial ischemia, led to cell death that had morphological features of apoptosis and necrosis and was independent of caspases. Surprisingly, this unusual type of cell death was regulated by JNK and ERK kinases. In fact, specific inhibition of JNK increased cell survival; specific inhibition of ERKs enhanced deleterious consequences of energy deprivation, whereas inhibition of p38 kinase had no effect. Hsp72 suppressed activation of JNK and did not increase ERK activity, suggesting that inhibition of JNK is the important component of Hsp72-mediated protection. Upon transient energy deprivation, activation of JNK proceeds via two distinct pathways, stimulation of JNK phosphorylation by a protein kinase SEK1 and inhibition of JNK dephosphorylation. Remarkably, in cells exposed to transient energy deprivation, Hsp72 enhanced the rate of JNK dephosphorylation but did not affect SEK1 activity. Therefore, it appears that Hsp72 specifically down-regulates JNK by accelerating its dephosphorylation, which reduces the susceptibility of cardiac cells to simulated ischemia/reperfusion.
 ...
PMID:Suppression of stress kinase JNK is involved in HSP72-mediated protection of myogenic cells from transient energy deprivation. HSP72 alleviates the stewss-induced inhibition of JNK dephosphorylation. 1097 40

Heat shock induces c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation as well as heat shock protein (HSP) expression through activation of the heat shock factor (HSF), but its signal pathway is not clearly understood. Since a small GTPase Rac1 has been suggested to participate in the cellular response to stresses, we examined whether Rac1 is involved in the heat shock response. Here we show that moderate heat shock (39-41 degrees C) induces membrane translocation of Rac1 and membrane ruffling in a Rac1-dependent manner. In addition, Rac1N17, a dominant negative mutant of Rac1, significantly inhibited JNK activation by heat shock. Since Rac1V12 was able to activate JNK, it is suggested that heat shock may activate JNK via Rac1. Similar inhibition by Rac1N17 of HSF activation in response to heat shock was observed. However, inhibitory effects of Rac1N17 on heat shock-induced JNK and HSF activation were reduced as the heat shock temperature increased. Rac1N17 also inhibited HSF activation by l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, a proline analog, and heavy metals (CdCl)), suggesting that Rac1 may be linked to HSF activation by denaturation of polypeptides in response to various proteotoxic stresses. However, Rac1N17 did not prevent phosphorylation of HSF1 in response to these proteotoxic stresses. Interestingly, a constitutively active mutant Rac1V12 did not activate the HSF. Therefore, Rac1 activation may be necessary, but not sufficient, for heat shock-inducible HSF activation and HSP expression, or otherwise a signal pathway(s) involving Rac1 may be indirectly involved in the HSF activation. In sum, we suggest that Rac1 may play a critical role(s) in several aspects of the heat shock response.
 ...
PMID:Implication of a small GTPase Rac1 in the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and heat shock factor in response to heat shock. 1105 83

Stress responses induced in fibroblasts by cryopreservation were compared in suspension or three-dimensional cultures at various times up to 5 days of recovery. Cryopreservation caused an 86% inhibition in [(35)S]methionine incorporation, with recovery over 2 days to 45% &plusmn: 14% of its original value. Stress proteins, including heat shock protein (hsp) and glucose-regulated proteins (GRP), detected by immunoblotting, responded with transient increases in cellular content (hsp27 and hsp90 in suspension and three-dimensional culture, and hsp70 only in three-dimensional culture), decreases at 24 h (hsp56, hsp70, hsp90, and GRP78 in three-dimensional culture and hsp90 in suspension), or little change (hsp70 in suspension). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of [(35)S]methionine-labeled proteins showed transient induction of hsp47 within 4 h, and increased synthesis of hsp90 and GRP78 and other unidentified proteins at 24 h, but no change in hsp70. The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, p38, showed a transient increase after thawing, followed by a peak in extracellular signal-regulated kinase at 24 h. The stress-activated protein kinase (JNK) was not activated. In both stress protein and MAP kinase responses, the three-dimensional cultures showed a more intense response than fibroblasts in suspension. Although some responses were related to osmotic and cold stress during freezing, others were unique. Cryopreservation induced mRNA for selected growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) A chain, which increased 5- to 20- fold at 48 h returning to basal levels by 120 h. Our results indicate the novel finding that cryopreservation of fibroblasts grown in three-dimensional culture induced a specific cellular stress response including growth factors.
 ...
PMID:Comparison of the stress response to cryopreservation in monolayer and three-dimensional human fibroblast cultures: stress proteins, MAP kinases, and growth factor gene expression. 1107 40

Elevated temperatures activate the survival promoters Akt and heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1), a transcription factor that induces the expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs), such as HSP-70. Because neuronal mechanisms controlling these responses are not known, these were investigated in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Heat shock (45 degrees C) rapidly activated Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), and p38, but only Akt was activated in a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K)-dependent manner, as the PI-3K inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin blocked Akt activation, but not ERK1/2 or p38 activation. Akt activation was not blocked by inhibition of p38 or ERK1/2, indicating the independence of these signaling systems. Heat shock treatment also caused a rapid increase in HSF-1 DNA binding activity that was partially dependent on PI-3K activity, as both the PI-3K inhibitors attenuated this response. Because Akt inhibits glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta), an enzyme that facilitates cell death, we tested if GSK-3beta is a negative regulator of HSF-1 activation. Overexpression of GSK-3beta impaired heat shock-induced activation of HSF-1, and also reduced HSP-70 production, which was partially restored by the GSK-3beta inhibitor lithium. Thus, heat shock-induced activation of PI-3K and the inhibitory effect of GSK-3beta on HSF-1 activation and HSP-70 expression imply that Akt-induced inhibition of GSK-3beta contributes to the activation of HSF-1.
 ...
PMID:Opposing actions of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta in the regulation of HSF-1 activity. 1108 Jan 91

The major heat shock protein Hsp72 prevents heat-induced apoptosis. We have previously demonstrated that transiently expressed Hsp72 exerts its anti-apoptotic effect by suppressing the activity of stress-kinase JNK, an early component of the apoptotic pathway initiated by heat shock. On the other hand, constitutive expression of Hsp72 does not lead to suppression of heat-induced JNK activation, yet still efficiently prevents apoptosis. To address this apparent contradiction, we studied the effects of constitutively expressed Hsp72 on activation of JNK and apoptosis in Rat-1 fibroblasts. We found that the level of heat-induced apoptosis directly correlated with the duration rather than the magnitude of JNK activity following heat shock. Constitutively expressed Hsp72 strongly reduced the duration of JNK while it did not suppress initial JNK activation. These effects were due to Hsp72-mediated acceleration of JNK dephosphorylation. Addition of vanadate to inhibit JNK phosphatase activity completely prevented the anti-apoptotic action of Hsp72. Therefore, suppression of heat-induced apoptosis by Hsp72 could be fully accounted for by its effects on JNK activity.
 ...
PMID:HSP72 can protect cells from heat-induced apoptosis by accelerating the inactivation of stress kinase JNK. 1114 65

Hsp72, a major inducible member of the heat shock protein family, can protect cells against many cellular stresses including heat shock. In our present study, we observed that pretreatment of NIH 3T3 cells with mild heat shock (43 degrees C for 20 min) suppressed UV-stimulated c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) activity. Constitutively overexpressed Hsp72 also inhibited JNK1 activation in NIH 3T3 cells, whereas it did not affect either SEK1 or MEKK1 activity. Both in vitro binding and kinase studies indicated that Hsp72 bound to JNK1 and that the peptide binding domain of Hsp72 was important to the binding and inhibition of JNK1. In vivo binding between endogenous Hsp72 and JNK1 in NIH 3T3 cells was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Hsp72 also inhibited JNK-dependent apoptosis. Hsp72 antisense oligonucleotides blocked Hsp72 production in NIH 3T3 cells in response to mild heat shock and concomitantly abolished the suppressive effect of mild heat shock on UV-induced JNK activation and apoptosis. Collectively, our data suggest strongly that Hsp72 can modulate stress-activated signaling by directly inhibiting JNK.
 ...
PMID:Hsp72 functions as a natural inhibitory protein of c-Jun N-terminal kinase. 1115 51

The product of the HER-2/neu proto-oncogene, HER2, is the second member of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family of tyrosine kinase receptors and has been suggested to be a ligand orphan receptor. Ligand-dependent heterodimerization between HER2 and another HER family member, HER1, HER3 or HER4, activates the HER2 signaling pathway. The intracellular signaling pathway of HER2 is thought to involve ras-MAPK, MAPK-independent S6 kinase and phospholipase C-gamma signaling pathways. However, the biological consequences of the activation of these pathways are not yet completely known. Amplification of the HER2 gene and overexpression of the HER2 protein induces cell transformation and has been demonstrated in 10% to 40% of human breast cancer. HER2 overexpression has been suggested to associate with tumor aggressiveness, prognosis and responsiveness to hormonal and cytotoxic agents in breast cancer patients. These findings indicate that HER2 is an appropriate target for tumor-specific therapies. A number of approaches have been investigated: (1) a humanized monoclonal antibody against HER2, rhuMAbHER2 (trastuzumab), which is already approved for clinical use in the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer; (2) tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as emodin, which block HER2 phosphorylation and its intracellullar signaling; (3) active immunotherapy, such as vaccination; and (4) heat shock protein (Hsp) 90-associated signal inhibitors, such as radicicol derivatives, which induce degradation of tyrosine kinase receptors, such as HER2.
 ...
PMID:Biological and clinical significance of HER2 overexpression in breast cancer. 1118 Jul 65


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>