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)

We showed previously that activated Ras, but not Raf, causes transformation of RIE-1 epithelial cells, demonstrating the importance of Raf-independent pathways in mediating Ras transformation. To assess the mechanism by which Raf-independent effector signaling pathways contribute to Ras-mediated transformation, we recently utilized representational difference analysis to identify genes expressed in a deregulated fashion by activated Ras but not Raf. One gene identified in these analyses encodes for alpha-tropomyosin. Therefore, we evaluated the mechanism by which Ras causes the downregulation of tropomyosin expression. By using RIE-1 cells that harbor inducible expression of activated H-Ras(12V), we determined that the downregulation of tropomyosin expression correlated with the onset of morphological transformation. We found that the reversal of Ras transformation caused by inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation corresponded to a restoration of tropomyosin expression. Inhibition of p38 activity in Raf-expressing RIE-1 cells caused both morphological transformation and loss of tropomyosin expression. Thus, a reduction in tropomyosin expression correlated strictly with morphological transformation of RIE-1 cells. However, forced overexpression of tropomyosin in Ras-transformed cells did not reverse morphological or growth transformation, a finding consistent with the possibility that multiple changes in gene expression contribute to Ras transformation. We also determined that tropomyosin expression was low in two human tumor cell lines, DLD-1 and HT1080, that harbor endogenous mutated alleles of ras, but high in transformation-impaired, derivative cell lines in which the mutant ras allele has been genetically deleted. Finally, treatment with azadeoxycytidine restored tropomyosin expression in Ras-transformed RIE-1, HT1080, and DLD-1 cells, suggesting a role for DNA methylation in downregulating tropomyosin expression.
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PMID:Opposing roles of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades in Ras-mediated downregulation of tropomyosin. 1188 15

The down-regulation of the high-molecular-weight isoforms of tropomyosin (TM) is considered to be an essential event in cellular transformation. In ras-transformed fibroblasts, the suppression of TM is dependent on the activity of the Raf-1 kinase; however, the requirement for other downstream effectors of Ras, such as MEK and ERK, is less clear. In this study, we have utilized the mitogen-activated protein kinase scaffolding protein Kinase Suppressor of Ras (KSR) to further investigate the regulation of TM and to clarify the importance of MEK/ERK signaling in this process. Here, we report that overexpression of wild-type KSR1 in ras-transformed fibroblasts restores TM expression and induces cell flattening and stress fiber formation. Moreover, we find that the transcriptional activity of a TM-alpha promoter is decreased in ras-transformed cells and that the restoration of TM by KSR1 coincides with increased transcription from this promoter. Although ERK activity was suppressed in cells overexpressing KSR1, ERK inhibition alone was insufficient to upregulate TM expression. The KSR1-mediated effects on stress fiber formation and TM transcription required the activity of the ROCK kinase, because these effects could be suppressed by the ROCK inhibitor, Y27632. Overexpression of KSR1 did not directly regulate ROCK activity, but did permit the recoupling of ROCK to the actin polymerization machinery. Finally, all of the KSR1-induced effects were mediated by the C-terminal domain of KSR1 and were dependent on the KSR-MEK interaction.
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PMID:Overexpression of kinase suppressor of Ras upregulates the high-molecular-weight tropomyosin isoforms in ras-transformed NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. 1258 96

Oxidative stress induces in endothelial cells a quick and transient coactivation of both stress-activated protein kinase-2/p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinases. We found that inhibiting the ERK pathway resulted, within 5 min of oxidative stress, in a misassembly of focal adhesions characterized by mislocalization of key proteins such as paxillin. The focal adhesion misassembly that followed ERK inhibition with the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD098059 (2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone) or with a kinase negative mutant of ERK in the presence of H(2)O(2) resulted in a quick and intense membrane blebbing that was associated with important damage to the endothelium. We isolated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis a PD098059-sensitive phosphoprotein of 38 kDa that we identified, by mass spectrometry, as tropomyosin-1. In fact, H(2)O(2) induced a time-dependent phosphorylation of tropomyosin that was sensitive to inhibition by PD098059 and UO126 (1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis[2-aminophenylthio]butanediane). Tropomyosin phosphorylation was also induced by expression of a constitutively activated form of MEK1 (MEK(CA)), which confirms that its phosphorylation resulted from the activation of ERK. In unstimulated cells, tropomyosin-1 was found diffuse in the cells, whereas it quickly colocalized with actin and stress fibers upon stimulation of ERK by H(2)O(2) or by expression of MEK(CA). We propose that phosphorylation of tropomyosin-1 downstream of ERK by contributing to formation of actin filaments increases cellular contractility and promotes the formation of focal adhesions. Incidentally, ML-7 (1-[5iodonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl]homopiperazine, HCl), an inhibitor of cell contractility, inhibited phosphorylation of tropomyosin and blocked the formation of stress fibers and focal adhesions, which also led to membrane blebbing in the presence of oxidative stress. Our finding that tropomyosin-1 is phosphorylated downstream of ERK, an event that modulates its interaction with actin, may lead to further understanding of the role of this protein in regulating cellular functions associated with cytoskeletal remodeling.
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PMID:Extracellular signal-regulated kinase mediates phosphorylation of tropomyosin-1 to promote cytoskeleton remodeling in response to oxidative stress: impact on membrane blebbing. 1268 98

The formation of complexes between growth factor receptors and members of a family of G-protein-coupled receptors whose natural ligands are S1P (sphingosine 1-phosphate) and LPA (lysophosphatidic acid) represents a new signalling entity. This receptor complex allows for integrated signalling in response to growth factor and/or S1P/LPA and provides a mechanism for more efficient activation (due to integrated close-proximity signalling from both receptor classes) of the p42/p44 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway. This article provides information on the molecular events at the interface between receptor tyrosine kinases and S1P/LPA receptors. Examples include the PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor)-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of G(i)alpha, released upon S1P(1) receptor activation, which is required for initiation of the p42/p44 MAPK pathway. Critical to this event is the formation of endocytic vesicles containing functionally active PDGFbeta receptor-S1P(1) receptor complexes, which are internalized and relocated with components of the p42/p44 MAPK pathway. We also report examples of cross-talk signal integration between the Trk A (tropomyosin receptor kinase A) receptor and the LPA(1) receptor in terms of the NGF (nerve growth factor)-dependent regulation of the p42/p44 MAPK pathway. NGF induces recruitment of the LPA(1) receptor to the nucleus (delivery might be Trk A-dependent), whereupon the LPA(1) receptor may govern gene expression via novel nuclear signalling processes.
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PMID:Receptor tyrosine kinase-GPCR signal complexes. 1464 Oct 30

Previous studies of transformed rodent fibroblasts have suggested that specific isoforms of the actin-binding protein tropomyosin (TM) could function as suppressors of transformation, but an analysis of TM expression in patient tumor tissue is limited. The purpose of our study was to characterize expression of the different TM isoforms in human transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. We found that TM1 and TM2 protein levels were markedly reduced and showed >60% reduction in 61% and 55% of tumor samples, respectively. TM5, which was expressed at very low levels in normal bladder mucosa, exhibited aberrant expression in 91% of tumor specimens. The Western blot findings were confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis in a number of tumors. We then investigated the mechanism underlying TM expression deregulation, in the T24 human bladder cancer cell line. We showed that levels of TM1, TM2 and TM3 are reduced in T24 cells, but significantly upregulated by inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase-signaling pathway. In addition, inhibition of this pathway was accompanied by restoration of stress fibers. Overall, changes in TM expression levels seem to be an early event during bladder carcinogenesis. We conclude that alterations in TM isoform expression may provide further insight into malignant transformation in transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder and may be a useful target for early detection strategies.
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PMID:Alterations in tropomyosin isoform expression in human transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. 1509 1

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell neoplasm that is characterized by the clonal expansion of malignant plasma cells and is frequently associated with chromosomal translocations placing an oncogene under the control of the immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer. Despite these pathogenic translocations, MM cells remain dependent on external cues for survival. We present evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin family of growth factors, and its high-affinity receptor, tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), contribute to these survival cues. MM cells express TrkB, and respond to BDNF by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-a PI3K target (PI3K/Akt) signaling cascades. Addition of BDNF protects human MM cell lines (HMCLs) from apoptosis induced by dexamethasone or bortezomib and prolongs the survival of primary MM cells cultured alone or with human bone marrow (BM) stroma. As BDNF and TrkB are expressed by osteoblasts, stromal cells, and endothelial cells within the BM microenvironment, a BDNF-TrkB axis may be critical to the interactions of MM with bone and stroma that contribute to MM tumor progression. Finally, BDNF is expressed by malignant plasma cells isolated from a subset of patients with MM, as well as by most HMCLs, suggesting a potential role for this neurotrophin axis in autocrine as well as paracrine support of MM.
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PMID:A neurotrophin axis in myeloma: TrkB and BDNF promote tumor-cell survival. 1565 81

In pheochromocytoma 12 (PC12) cells and sympathetic neurons, nerve growth factor (NGF) engagement with the tropomyosin-related tyrosine kinase (TrkA) receptor activates the serine/threonine kinase glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta), enabling it to phosphorylate the microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B). GSK3beta phosphorylation of MAP1B acts as a molecular switch to regulate microtubule dynamics in growing axons, and hence the rate of axon growth. An important question relates to the identification of the upstream pathway linking the activation of GSK3beta with TrkA engagement. TrkA can utilise a number of intracellular signalling pathways, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) pathway. We now show, using pharmacological inhibitor studies of PC12 cells and sympathetic neurons in culture and in vitro kinase and activation assays, that the MAPK pathway, and not the PI3K pathway, links NGF engagement with the TrkA receptor to GSK3beta activation in PC12 cells and sympathetic neurons. We also show that activated GSK3beta is a small fraction of the total GSK3beta present in developing brain and that it is not part of a multiprotein complex. Thus, NGF drives increased neurite growth rates partly by coupling the MAPK pathway to the activation of GSK3beta and thereby phosphorylation of MAP1B.
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PMID:The MAP kinase pathway is upstream of the activation of GSK3beta that enables it to phosphorylate MAP1B and contributes to the stimulation of axon growth. 1573 42

In this study we confirmed the presence of the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor on both cultured cortical neurons and PC12 cells and showed that EPO can induce changes in p38, ERK, and JNK signaling molecules in these cells. We induced EPO preconditioning in cortical neuronal cultures that protected neurons from a subsequent in vitro ischemic insult (transient oxygen-glucose deprivation). To investigate downstream changes in protein expression in EPO-preconditioned cortical neuronal cultures, we used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Overall, EPO preconditioning resulted in protein up-regulation, and, from 84 of the most differentially expressed proteins selected for identification, the proteins or tentative proteins were identified in 57 cases, representing 40 different proteins. Different protein spots representing the same or closely related protein(s) occurred for 13 of the identified proteins and are likely to represent posttranslational modifications or proteolytic fragments of the protein. Two proteins (78-kD glucose-regulated protein and tropomyosin, fibroblast isoform 1) were detected in control neuronal cultures, but not following EPO preconditioning treatment, whereas one protein (40S ribosomal protein SA) was detected only following EPO preconditioning. Most of the other proteins identified had not previously been associated with EPO preconditioning and will aid in the understanding of EPO's neuroprotective response and possibly the development of new therapeutic interventions to inhibit neuronal death in acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases.
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PMID:Erythropoietin preconditioning in neuronal cultures: signaling, protection from in vitro ischemia, and proteomic analysis. 1643 92

Growth of human embryonic stem (hES) cells as a pluripotent population requires a balance between survival, proliferation and self-renewal signals. Here we demonstrate that hES cells express receptors of the tropomyosin-related kinase (TRK) family, which mediate antiapoptotic signals. We show that three TRK ligands, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin 3 and neurotrophin 4, are survival factors for hES cells. Addition of neurotrophins to hES cell cultures effects a 36-fold improvement in their clonal survival. hES cell cultures maintained in medium containing neurotrophins remain diploid and retain full developmental potency. In the presence of neurotrophins, TRK receptors in hES cells are phosphorylated; TRK receptor inhibition leads to hES cell apoptosis. The survival activity of neurotrophins in hES cells is mediated by the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase pathway but not the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Neurotrophins improve hES cell survival and may facilitate their manipulation and the development of high-throughput screens to identify factors responsible for hES cell differentiation.
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PMID:Neurotrophins mediate human embryonic stem cell survival. 1652 6

Caldesmon is an actin-binding protein that is capable of stabilizing actin filaments against actin-severing proteins, inhibiting actomyosin ATPase activity, and inhibiting Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization in vitro. Caldesmon is a substrate of cdc2 kinase and Erk1/2 MAPK, and phosphorylation by either of these kinases reverses the inhibitory effects of caldesmon. Cdc2-mediated caldesmon phosphorylation and the resulting dissociation of caldesmon from actin filaments are essential for M-phase progression during mitosis. Cells overexpressing the actin-binding carboxyterminal fragment of caldesmon fail to release the fragment completely from actin filaments during mitosis, resulting in a higher frequency of multinucleated cells. PKC-mediated MEK/Erk/caldesmon phosphorylation is an important signaling cascade in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction. Furthermore, PKC activation has been shown to remodel actin stress fibers into F-actin-enriched podosome columns in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. Podosomes are cytoskeletal adhesion structures associated with the release of metalloproteases and degradation of extracellular matrix during cell invasion. Interestingly, caldesmon is one of the few actin-binding proteins that is associated with podosomes but excluded from focal adhesions. Caldesmon also inhibits the function of gelsolin and Arp2/3 complex that are essential for the formation of podosomes. Thus, caldesmon appears to be well positioned for playing a modulatory role in the formation of podosomes. Defining the roles of actin filament-stabilizing proteins such as caldesmon and tropomyosin in the formation of podosomes should provide a more complete understanding of molecular systems that regulate the remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton in cell transformation and invasion.
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PMID:Caldesmon phosphorylation in actin cytoskeletal remodeling. 1654 74


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